


Ridiculous Old Men in Ninja Love

by ajremix



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-19 04:57:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 31,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4733540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajremix/pseuds/ajremix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of sickeningly saccharine works between two men who have been through hell, clawed back every inch to rebuild their lives and somehow found comfort in the one that used to be their most hated rival.</p><p>Not in chronological order, not all full stories.  Ratings range from general to mature, warnings will be put in chapter headers where applicable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Snippet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ones that once brought out the worst in them now inspires the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka the random scene that kicked off this entire thing

"I think you are the most amazing person I have ever known."  
  
The admission is soft and Hanzo almost doesn't believe he heard it. "What?"  
  
"You... are an inspiration," even in the dark he can see the red sweeping across Kuai Liang's cheeks. "After everything that has happened, all your loss, your pain, those that have manipulated you and hurt you and yet you still manage to have such compassion in your heart." He looks up, pale eyes flashing in the low light and he looks almost ashamed for his confession. "Takeda is a fine young man, your clan is strong and nurturing, none of that would have happened without your guidance. You take in strangers, welcome them in to your family, restore their confidence, give them a sense of purpose. You care, deeply and earnestly, about those you love. I've thought of you in the hard times, how you carry on despite all that has been done to you and it gives me strength to do the same. I have never met anyone with a heart as great and open as yours."  
  
"I know one with greater."  
  
The words surprise Kuai Liang, but not as much as it does Hanzo. He can feel the heat burning over his skin and he has to look away in order to continue. "You have a patience and forgiveness that seems... unfathomable. You reach out to others, time and again, in peace. Even when it is unnecessary. Even when I am too caught up in my anger to see reason. I have spent so long hating your clan, your brother, that I refused to see you differently. I willfully ignored your kindness, always quick to see the worst in you- to believe the worst where there was none. And still you kept trying to make amends. Misguided anger or not, I have done you many wrongs. I am not worthy of your mercy or compassion. But... I would like to be."  
  
He isn't certain when the space between them had vanished but Kuai Liang is suddenly very, very close to him and Hanzo is caught between the urge to step back and step in. A hand comes up, just the lightest brush of knuckles against the soft hairs on his jaw and Kuai Liang leans in, then hesitates. "Can... may I?"  
  
Eyes sliding closed, Hanzo tilts his head back and says, "Please."  
  
It's a tentative kiss, just the lingering press of trembling lips, the chastity of two men too scarred by their pasts to be more than reserved. They part, just enough to rest together forehead to forehead, and Kuai Liang can feel Hanzo's pulse pounding in his neck, against his palm, and it mirrors the hammering in his own chest. Their hands upon each other are light, uncertain, neither brave enough to move forward, neither willing to move back.  
  
Eventually Hanzo licks his lips, the movement just barely brushing against Kuai Liang, and opens his eyes. "It seems Takeda and Jacqui enjoy moonlight strolls together." His voice seems thick and rough in his throat, but he steels himself and continues regardless, "Perhaps you would like to join me one time?"  
  
He can't see the smile on Kuai Liang's lips but can see it in the curve of his eyes, the pull of his scar. "I would love to."

 


	2. A Moonlit Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and Kuai Liang go for a walk.

There was a respectful knock at the door before it swung open at the gruff commanded, “Enter.”  
  
“Grandmaster,” Kuai Liang recognized one of the gate guards, “Master Hasashi of the Shirai Ryu is requesting an audience.”  
  
Despite the lateness of the hour Kuai Liang may have been a little too happy to shove aside his paperwork (he never imagined this position would have so damn much of it). “Show him in.” The moment she left, however, he began to question if he was seeming too eager. Was this official business? Should he order them tea? Given their confession of mutual attraction and kiss in their last meeting, should he act professional? Intimate?  
  
With none of those questions answered, Hanzo was shown in, looking as serious as ever and Kuai Liang momentarily floundered in his manners. “Master Hasashi,” when in doubt, be polite- see, Tomas, I paid attention, he thought ruefully, “I apologize for not receiving you properly.”  
  
“Thank you for receiving me at all,” he bowed shallowly, “being as I arrived unannounced at such a late hour.”  
  
The cryomancer waved to the chair opposite his own, “Please, sit. How may I be of service?”  
  
Hanzo approached the chair but merely stood behind it. He almost appeared to blush, “I was actually wondering if… you were available for a moonlit walk?”  
  
Kuai Liang froze. Then blinked. “Right now?” He blurted out, then winced. “Of course right now, you wouldn’t be here otherwise. I’m sorry, I hadn’t expected this.”  
  
“No,” Hanzo dipped his head, beginning a backward retreat for the door, “you are a busy man, I shouldn’t have expected you to be able to comply to such a silly, impulsive request-”  
  
“I’d love to.”  
  
They sucked in a breath, both surprised by the turn of events. “Oh.” The older man was definitely blushing now, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Um, perhaps you can show me your favorite trail? I’m not familiar with your compound or the surrounding area.”  
  
“Right. Yes.” Kuai Liang’s hands flexed momentarily before remembering he should be leading the way. “If you would follow me.” He briefly considered the best way to sneak passed the guards before remember he was the grandmaster meeting with another official as far as anyone knew and had no need to sneak around. If Tomas or Bi Han could see him now, how they’d laugh at him.  
  
No one bothered the two, save bidding them a good evening, as they left the Lin Kuei temple, the soft light from the perimeter reaching far enough that when they finally stepped into the darkness, their eyes had adjusted to the light of the stars and crescent moon. The path was a simple one, clear of large rocks or hidden dips. It was the temple’s main path and Kuai Liang veered them off it and into a sparse line of trees that led up a higher trail. Neither spoke, their breathes steaming in the night, quiet broken up by their footfalls- neither making an attempt to silence them -and soft exhalations. Kuai Liang nearly asked if Hanzo was feeling well in the high altitude before remembering the Shirai Ryu compound was just as if not somewhat higher.  
  
It was less than a mile before they emerged from the thin trees, coming to a stop on what was practically a cliff that overlooked the main path winding down below, too exposed to be used as a guard point. It jutted out into the sky, most of the mountain falling away from it, and Kuai Liang’s breath caught as he took the sight in. He had known of this place for many years but he’d never taken the time to actually see it and it…  
  
It was absolutely beautiful.  
  
The stars shimmered, colors flickering in the dark, uncountable in their numbers and unfathomable in their beauty. The bright stream of the Milky Way stretched across the entire sky like a sash and the moonlight was just enough to make the snow on distant peaks shimmer.  
  
He felt Hanzo step up next to him, shoulders brushing together and Kuai Liang could feel the heat radiating off his bare skin. “It is an unbelievable view.”  
  
“It truly is. I hadn’t even realized.” They stared out into the sky and when Kuai Liang felt something brush against his knuckles he reached for it, felt Hanzo’s fingers jerk as if about the pull away before, almost shyly, rubbing against Kuai Liang’s own. They wove together and Kuai Liang’s heart was thudding in his chest just from that. His tongue felt thick in his mouth, licking his lips before asking, “You said this was an impulsive request. May I ask what made you think of it?”  
  
With his eyes stubbornly locked on the sky and cheeks growing dark in the starlight, Hanzo said, “As I was finishing training for the day, I chanced to look up and see the sunset. I was stunned at how beautiful it was,” his cheeks grew darker still, “and I… wanted you there with me. To share it.”  
  
Kuai Liang had the urge to take the man in his arms and ravish him. Instead he looked at the sky and said, “Stargazing was a hobby of mine when I was younger.”  
  
“Was it?”  
  
“We often snuck out when we were lower ranks. My brother taught me the constellations.” He nearly slapped himself in the face- of all the stupid things to bring up! He could practically feel the guilt building up in Hanzo and to distract him, Kuai Liang pulled on his hand, bringing him in close so he could point out the first constellation he could recognize. “There’s the Court of the Celestial Market- the tower, assistants right next to it, I think that’s the butcher above. Are you familiar with the constellations at all?”  
  
“I know the basics but I can’t identify them.” The smile Hanzo gave him was warm, leaning into him slightly. “I would like to hear about them.”  
  
So Kuai Liang pointed them out, surprised by how much he remembered, how much he enjoyed the stories. Eventually, when his memory petered out, they just watched the stars, leaning in, closer and closer, until Hanzo was nestled against his shoulder and Kuai Liang’s cheek rested against his hair.  
  
Before he realized it, a soft, “Thank you,” slipped out of Kuai Liang’s lips.  
  
Hanzo pulled his head back slightly. “For what?”  
  
“This.” A hand waved vaguely. “This night, reminding me of what I used to enjoy, for thinking about me.”  
  
The older man shifted until he was standing in front of Kuai Liang, so close their breaths mingled. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”  
  
“Oh good,” he blurted out, “I’m not the only one.”  
  
A faint smirk was his response before both pressed in, nearly chest to chest. “May I-” their words cut into each other, causing them to snort and grin, something almost like a teenage giddiness making them feel both foolish and daring. They leaned in and kissed softly. And again. And again until their arms wrapped around each other and they could barely pull away. Palms traced over sides, backs, running maddening trails over the sharp cut of muscles. Someone whimpered as the kiss deepened and fists tugged against clothing until their bodies were flush together.  
  
Hanzo pulled away when he felt something settle where the small of his back became the swell of his ass. “Your hands are quite bold,” reproach was nowhere in his words.  
  
“Would you like me to remove them?”  
  
“Are you referring to your hands or my pants?”  
  
Kuai Liang’s grin was cheeky, taking years off the lines of his face. “I’m flexible.”  
  
Hanzo’s eyes gleamed wickedly- the Grandmaster would not find him so easily tongue-tied. “Perhaps one day you can prove it to me.”  
  
Until that moment Kuai Liang hadn’t realized it was possible to get half hard from a single sentence. At a loss for words, his hands grew even bolder, slipping down to grab a handful of that delectable backside and pulling him in for a rough kiss. The hunger gradually lessened until the two men were exchanging lazy kisses, hands resting on the other’s waist.  
  
Kuai Liang sighed against Hanzo’s lips, “Stay with me tonight.” He felt the other man freeze in his arms and amended quickly, “I don’t mean having sex, I just meant stay at the temple. It’s getting late-”  
  
“The Shirai Ryu compound is three hours behind yours,” Hanzo reminded with some amusement.  
  
He ignored that with little difficulty, “I can have a room made up for you.”  
  
“I don’t want to inconvenience your people.”  
  
Kuai Liang nearly said no one would complain about any inconvenience where he could overhear but he knew Hanzo, like himself, had never imagined leading his clan and was even less comfortable with all the privileges his status came with. “There’s a room kept ready for our allies that come visiting. It will take minimum work to prepare it for you.” Hanzo still didn’t look convinced. “If you need to justify the stay, in the morning we can discuss joint training ventures as well as explore the possibility of exchanging acolytes for cross training purposes that we talked about briefly.” He was wavering and Kuai Liang cupped his jaw and said, “I just really like the idea of having breakfast with you. Perhaps sharing tea and watch the sunrise together.”  
  
That melted any lingering resistance. “I suppose… My clan could always contact me if there are any issues in my absence.”  
  
“You have that device Special Forces developed, correct? It will work fine here.”  
  
“Then I shall stay the night.”  
  
It took far more discipline to keep from cheering than Kuai Liang was comfortable in admitting. “I shall have your room readied upon our return.” When he moved back toward the temple, Hanzo gripped his hand tightly, keeping him in place.  
  
“Perhaps,” he asked hopefully, “after a little while longer?”  
  
He smiled, squeezing his hands back. “As long as you wish.”


	3. Milestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the relationship hits a milestone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Porn ahead

Hanzo didn’t so much as wake as it was his consciousness surfaced like a lazy creature meandering up to shallow waters. His awareness came in pieces through a fog, recognizing the lethargic heat tingling through his veins and snuggled into his pillow, taking the time to enjoy the feeling. The sun had yet to spill through the window, he could indulge himself for once, shifting slightly, just enough to get some friction. The soft silk of his sleep pants skimmed against his dick, not yet hard but the interest was there. He sighed, rubbing into the mattress, then rubbed a little harder, enough to make him groan. He wasn’t feeling motivated enough to move a hand out from under his pillow just yet, instead fisting the sheets rhythmically, lightly as his hips flexed. He bit his lip, ground down hard and moaned softly, “Kuai Liang…”  
  
“I was beginning to worry you might be having a nightmare but this is a much more preferable alternative.”  
  
Hanzo’s eyes flew open and he cursed loudly at finding the younger man- shirtless, clad only in the sleep trousers Hanzo had gifted him with to keep in the Shirai Ryu compound, in Hanzo’s room -seated at Hanzo’s desk, leaning forward with avid interest.  
  
The former wraith rolled over, turning his back on Kuai Liang and just barely kept himself from hiding under the covers. “I’d forgotten you were here,” he admitted.  
  
“Normally I’d be insulted, but knowing you dream of me touching you, I’ll forgive it.” The bed dipped slightly and Hanzo could feel Kuai Liang leaning over him, voice gentle. “I don’t mind, if you’re worried.”  
  
“It’s not that…” He was embarrassed- of course he was embarrassed but it wasn’t because he was caught but rather having Kuai Liang there was turning him on even more. Though their relationship had progressed to occasionally sleeping in the same bed, it had yet gotten to sex due to Hanzo’s hesitance. It was like he had an emotional block, feeling as if he was betraying the memory of his wife- the same block that had initially kept him from even acknowledging his attracted to begin with. But talking it out with Kenshi and Kuai Liang’s patience helped him work through the guilt. Even with that, the fact that he very suddenly, very intensely wanted to roll the man into the bed and run his lips over every inch of his body when he had no such urges the night before made him feel something like a hypocrite.  
  
Hands stroked at his hair, brushing out the long strands and fanning them against the sheets. “May I,” Kuai Liang’s voice seemed to waver, “take care of that for you?”  
  
Hanzo peered over his shoulder, uncertain he’d heard correctly. The cryomancer wasn’t quite looking at him, head turned slightly away though his pale eyes kept flickering back almost shyly. He seemed to be turning red in the dim lighting.  
“I could, if you’d like. If you’re comfortable with me doing so.”  
  
“Are you certain?”  
  
“Very certain.” Kuai Liang licked his lips and it was like everything about him changed in an instant- hungry, seductive, ready to devour Hanzo in the most pleasurable ways possible. “I would be honored.”  
  
Hanzo rolled onto his back, splaying his legs beneath the sheet despite his heart pounding hard in his chest. “Very well, then.”  
  
Kuai Liang’s hands fluttered over him, not quite certain where to touch first before deciding to pull the blanket back. “Tell me if you’re no longer comfortable. I will stop the moment you tell me to.”  
  
The older man smiled and reached out a hand, coaxing Kuai Liang down for a kiss. “I trust you.”  
  
Kuai Liang purred against his lips, a hand sliding down the length of Hanzo’s arm so he could lace their fingers together. He trailed kisses down Hanzo’s chin and jaw, his neck and chest, down to teeth a nipple just enough to make Hanzo squirm. He ran the flat of his tongue against it, then breathed cool air that caused a sharp gasp and a hand to grip at the back of his head. He zig-zagged wet, open mouthed kisses down Hanzo’s body, sucking at his skin to embed the taste of him in his mind, to burn the memory of each twitch and gasp so deep in his brain it would fill his dreams. When he finally reached the waistband of Hanzo’s pants, Kuai Liang paused and looked up, waiting for the weak nod of permission before pulling them off completely.  
  
He sat back on his heels between Hanzo’s knees, just studying him- how he looked laying naked before him, how his dick twitched and bobbed in the air, hanging slightly to one side, how Hanzo’s eyes were so dark and riveted to Kuai Liang, looking for all the world like he could cum right there from the way Kuai Liang was looking at him. Kuai Liang’s hands shook slightly as he traced them over Hanzo’s thighs. “I’ve been dreaming about this for so long,” he said softly before leaning down, beard brushing against the darkening cock as he pressed his nose to his pelvis and just breathed him in. He turned his head just enough to run his lips over the rigid length, then did it again with his tongue. Hanzo moaned weakly and Kuai Liang echoed it- he wanted this to be amazing. He wanted it to be perfect. He wanted Hanzo to feel as captivated and helpless as Kuai Liang felt all those nights he could only be satisfied by his hand and the memory of Hanzo in his arms. He kissed the head of Hanzo’s cock before tonguing the slit until he could taste precum. Then he stretched his mouth over the head and sucked hard.  
  
Hanzo jerked and shivered, murmuring soft encouragements as well as pleadings "more"s and Kuai Liang was happy to oblige, bobbing his head bit by bit until he could work the entire length into his throat. Everything he did was met with a moan, a yes, a gentle caress of a hand fluttering against his face. It made Kuai Liang- who’d never had such a vocal partner before -more determined to make this the best experience possible. He pulled off just enough to blow a gentle stream of cold air over Hanzo’s cock before engulfing it again, the contrast between cool breath and warm mouth making him writhe magnificently. A finger slipped between the cheeks of Hanzo’s ass just to tease before running over the sensitive skin behind his balls and then palming the balls themselves. Hanzo’s hips jerked, trying to grind into Kuai Liang’s hand and his mouth at the same time. It was only when Kuai Liang's his hand drifted back down that Hanzo moved, legs shifting open even further and taking the younger man’s hand in his own.  
  
He pressed Kuai Liang’s finger against his perineum as if searching for something. Something that made him moan loudly and shudder hard. “There,” he panted breathlessly, “rub hard there.” When Kuai Liang repeated the gesture, Hanzo moaned again, hands reaching up to grab at the headboard. “Just like that. More.” He grounded his hips against Kuai Liang’s knuckle, biting his lip and whimpering and Kuai Liang was absolutely mesmerized.  
  
He shifted back up Hanzo’s body, still knuckling that spot, unable to help moaning along with the older man. “You are exquisite,” he said, enamored with the way Hanzo was working himself into a pleasured delirium. “You’re beautiful and amazing and-” he couldn’t stop himself from kissing Hanzo, tasting the shivers that ran through his body, chests heaving together. Legs tangled, one wrapping around Kuai Liang’s hips for leverage and a hand almost unbearably hot gripped his ass. Somehow someone must have pushed Kuai Liang's pants down because they were bared cock to gloriously bared cock and he had to move his hand, planting his elbows so he could thrust against Hanzo. Bites peppered his neck and shoulders, ranging from the brush of teeth to sharp jolts of pain that enhanced the pleasure flooding Kuai Liang’s senses. He clenched his jaw as the urge to babble he didn’t even know what bubbled in his throat, turning them into whimpers instead as he pressed his face against Hanzo’s neck and then he was cumming- both were cumming in a rush of heat between their bellies and Kuai Liang collapsed, arms trembling too much to hold him up.  
  
A kiss against his temple caused Kuai Liang to stir and he shifted just enough to see Hanzo. They shared lazy smiles and then an equally lazy kiss. The movement caused their bodies to slide together, reminding them of the mess they’d made and Kuai Liang rolled to the side just enough to finish pulling off his pants- still clinging to one ankle -and cleaning them up.  
  
“Where shall I put this?”  
  
“With the rest of the laundry is fine.”  
  
Not willing to give up his current position next to Hanzo, Kuai Liang threw the soiled clothing vaguely in the correct direction, making a mental note to deal with it properly whenever he got up. Hanzo did nothing more than scoff, thumb tracing random patterns on the younger man’s shoulder. “Do you want to stay for breakfast?”  
  
“What I’d really like,” he skimmed a palm over Hanzo’s chest, “is to spend all day right here with you.”  
  
He huffed in fond amusement, cupping Kuai Liang’s cheek. “If only.”  
  
“If only,” he agreed, kissing the palm. “I need to go or I’ll never get any work done.”  
  
The older man hummed in what was possibly agreement but he made no move to stop Kuai Liang from kissing him again, long and slow.  
  
“Alright,” the cryomancer finally pushed from the bed, “really going now.” He scooped up his pants and put them in with the rest of the laundry before going to his clothes, neatly folded and stacked the night before, to dress. Hanzo sat up to watch, an arm draped over upright knees, running a hand through disheveled hair. A small smile found its way across his lips as he watched Kuai Liang dress, admiring how his body looked in the soft light of pre-morning. When Kuai Liang turned to bid him farewell, he froze. Then swore in Mandarin before striding back to the bed and pulling Hanzo into an almost rough, almost desperate kiss. “You are too enticing,” he all but growled against yielding lips. “Temptation made flesh.”  
  
“And you are a flatterer.” Hand pressed against his chest, Hanzo pushed the younger man back. “Go. Or neither of us will be productive today.”  
  
Disappointment huffed over his lips but Kuai Liang obediently backed away. Then nearly tripped over the corner of a bureau before catching himself, attempting to slick down his hair and asking, “Send me a message when you find some free time in your schedule?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
He gave one last, lingering look before blindly reaching for the door and slipping out. Once his steps faded down the hall, Hanzo flopped back on his bed, reaching out to clutch a pillow- still smelling of Kuai Liang -to his face. By the time he finally left his room it was after sun up, reasonably certain he had his giddy smiles under control.


	4. Again and Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kuai Liang is taken care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More porn

Kuai Liang woke up in a bed that was not his own and he lay there for several seconds before recalling the where and how of his current situation. The room had the maintained look of a recently restored place of neglect, furnishings sparse and mismatched when looked at closely. What saved the room from being completely spartan were the copies of ukiyo-e landscapes hung on the walls, the subtle burn of incense and, Kuai Liang’s favorite part, the growing collection of children’s drawings pinned on the board by Hanzo’s desk. The desk currently occupied by the man himself.  
  
Though the Shirai Ryu compound had several modern amenities- including a very comfortable bed -the only light currently on was a candle lantern that Hanzo wrote by. Kuai Liang couldn’t help but admire the picture he made, spine an almost gentle curve, shoulders bowing slightly, his posture- usually so precise and strong -softening in this private space.  
  
He must have made some noise or was just so mesmerized by Hanzo’s hair, loose against his shoulders, to realize he was noticed because the older man said more than asked, “You are awake.”  
  
Guilt flashing across his expression, Kuai Liang sat upright. “I apologize for entering your room unannounced and falling asleep in your bed. I had not meant to presume I was allowed to.” Despite what their relationship had progressed to it was so easy to fall into formality with Hanzo. Their past history, natural dispositions and nervousness in keeping their relationship in good standing often made formal politeness their default interaction.  
  
“It caused no issues,” Hanzo put down his calligraphy brush, putting everything away. His work was quite beautiful- Kuai Liang had more than one piece displayed in the Lin Kuei temple. “You seem more tired than usual. Is anything wrong?”  
  
He gave a very un-Grandmaster-like snort. “Just a million tiny annoyances built up over time. Nothing that can be solved easily or with fighting, I’m afraid.” That got an amused huff out of Hanzo as he covered his inkwell. “I merely needed to take a break for a while.”  
  
“And so you came here.”  
  
Kuai Liang bowed his head, “I apologize for imposing.”  
  
The smallest of smiles graced Hanzo’s lips. “If you want me to take care of you, just say so.”  
  
“I don’t mean to be a bother.”  
  
“It’s no more a bother for me than your taking care of me has been for you.” Hanzo stood, crossing to the bed in sure, silent strides. Kuai Liang’s heart thumped as the man leaned over him, noses bumping lightly until the young man pushed up and fitted their lips together.  
  
Their kisses always started out sweet and gentle, almost shy as if neither could still believe this was something they could do before growing bolder, deeper, mouths opening and the heat and cold of their breaths intermingling made them shiver. Hanzo pulled away first, tracing open-mouthed kisses down Kuai Liang’s neck, hands splayed wide against his chest. He tugged at the blue vest, “May I?”  
  
Kuai Liang nodded before remembering how to say, “Yes.” Hanzo pulled the article from his shoulders, folding it and setting it aside, then he placed kiss after kiss down Kuai Liang’s exposed torso, pressing his tongue against skin just to feel the cryomancer tremble. Hands rested at his belt until Kuai Liang nodded again, unlacing it with practiced ease, the remainder of his clothing coming off with a roll of the hips. Kuai Liang lay, naked and exposed, on Hanzo’s bed, cock twitching against his thigh and utterly unashamed under the carefully contained heat in Hanzo’s gaze.  
  
Hanzo folded the pants almost absently, stacking it atop the other clothes and reaching into a nearby drawer for a bottle of massage oil. “Turn over,” he ordered.  
  
Kuai Liang did without question, making himself comfortable. He knew what was about to happen.  
  
Hands, slick and warm with oil, pressed against his shoulders, thumbs running up either side of his spine. Hanzo worked out the tension there meticulously and Kuai Liang hummed into the pillow in approval. Hanzo’s hands were heavenly and, though he preferred the cold, even Kuai Liang was not immune to the heat Hanzo could generate, soaking into his muscles. He worked with care, chasing out every thread of stress, working down from shoulders to fingers, placing a kiss on each tip and the palm before doing the same for the other. Hands worked down his back and Kuai Liang couldn’t help grinding into the sheets as the flesh of his ass was kneaded. Nor could he help the startled, “Oh!” when a wicked hand slipped between his thighs and ran along his perineum. Hanzo chuckled at the mock glare that got him before moving down to the thighs and calves and feet. When he finished he placed a kiss against the small of Kuai Liang’s back and ordered again, “Turn over.”  
  
Kuai Liang shifted lazily, more turned on than tired, and his cock was already dark and half hard. Hanzo licked his lips at the sight and the younger man had to reach down, squeezing the base of his dick in response. “You’re rather over dressed.”  
  
“I didn’t want to presume,” Hanzo teased back. “Would you like to undress me?”  
  
Kuai Liang hummed, then laced his hands behind his head. “You do it.”  
  
An eyebrow was raised at him, “You’re going to make me do all the work?”  
  
“You did say you were going to take care of me.”  
  
Hanzo gave a mock growl but stood back obediently, very nearly making a show of undoing his clothing, piece by piece. He pulled off his shirt with a sweeping movement, candlelight catching the shift of muscles as he folded it and turned to place his clothing in a stack next to Kuai Liang’s. Then he pushed his breeches and underwear off with an exaggerated, graceful bow. Kuai Liang moaned- obscenely loud if Hanzo’s smirk was anything to go by -but he couldn’t help it. The man’s ass was like a work of art and he wanted to bury himself in it one way or another every time it was bared before him.  
  
He moaned again when Hanzo turned, revealing he was nearly as hard just from touching Kuai Liang. “Is there something you need?” Hanzo asked, shockingly playfully if Kuai Liang hadn’t come to expect it by now. He crawled up the length of Kuai Liang’s body, slow and powerful with his voice rumbling through the younger man’s chest to melt in his bones. “Grandmaster?”  
  
He reached out, snagging the ends of Hanzo’s hair, kissing it before using it to tug the older man in so he could press messy, desperate kisses against his neck, his jaw, his cheeks. “Just you. Only you. Again and always.”  
  
Hanzo sealed their mouths together with a growl, grinding his hips down to rut against Kuai Liang, cock to cock. Blunt nails dug in deep in the strong muscles of Hanzo’s back, flexing with the fluid rolls of his body. A hand, still slick with massage oil, slipped between their bodies, trailing down until it could wrap around their dicks, tugging them with familiar, shiver-inducing efficiency. Kuai Liang’s head fell back, gasping, eyelids fluttering, fingers digging cold, red marks into any part of his lover he could grip. Hanzo ran a series of bites down the cryomancer’s neck, across his chest, leaving behind marks his vest wouldn’t be able to cover up. His hand pumped, rhythm cracking on the edges as desperation grew like fire in his veins. He bit down hard on Kuai Liang’s collarbone, eliciting a gasp and a sharp buck that momentarily threw his rhythm even more. It was hard to concentrate with pleasure crackling down his spin, with the addictive sounds of skin on skin filling that minuscule space between them, with his name being chanted in his ear like a plea.  
  
“You’re beautiful,” Hanzo managed to say though he wasn’t certain in what language, “you’re mine. Only you.”  
  
Kuai Liang said something in broken, breathless Mandarin before cumming in Hanzo’s hand and across his chest in a hot rush. Hanzo followed soon after.  
  
When Kuai Liang awoke again, boneless and satisfied, still barely a step above unconscious, he’d already been cleaned up and Hanzo, still wonderfully naked, was leaning over to put out the lantern. There was enough ambient light filtering in through the window to allow Hanzo to get back to bed without incident and for Kuai Liang to appreciate him doing so before welcoming him back with exhausted, eager arms. Once Hanzo settled against him, face pressed against the side of his neck and thumb running nonsense patterns over his chest, Kuai Liang rumbled, “Thank you for taking care of me again.“  
  
“Again,” Hanzo promised with one last kiss, “and always.”


	5. Always and Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which it's Hanzo's turn to be taken care of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not porn but not exactly work-safe.

It was close to midnight by the time the search party returned to the Shirai Ryu compound, hurrying behind the gate in order to get out of the worst of the storm. Several others were waiting there with bundles of blankets and towels and warm liquids. It wasn’t until a pair of acolytes led away the horses that had run off did Hanzo realize one of the people helping to distribute aid was Kuai Liang. Hanzo hesitated for just a moment before continuing to check on those that had gone out with him, making sure there was no frostbite and gently warming numb hands and feet when needed. He spoke to each one, praising them, thanking them, telling them to take the next day easy so as to not get sick. Only after the last of the Shirai Ryu went into the main building did he finally turn to Kuai Liang, waiting patiently, not at all bothered by the thick snow billowing around them.  
  
Trying to be overheard by the howling wind wasn’t the real reason Hanzo stepped in close, but the Lin Kuei grandmaster didn’t seem bothered by the proximity, even as the snow quietly hissed wherever it landed on Hanzo, “Why are you here? Did Takeda not tell you I’d be unable to make our meeting?”  
  
“He told me,” Kuai Liang agreed, reaching out to gently pull back loose, wet strands of hair that stuck to Hanzo’s cheek. “He also told me you’ve been incredibly busy recently and could use some relaxing.”  
  
“You didn’t need to come. It’s very late for you, you don’t need to take care of me.”  
  
Kuai Liang took another step in, close enough that all Hanzo could see were the lights reflected in his pale eyes. “But I would like to if you’d let me. I missed you.”  
  
The realization that it had been a month since the last time they were together, since they were last able to touch, seemed to make the stress of the last few weeks crash down on him all at once, making his shoulders sag and his eyelids heavy. “If you insist. I cannot promise to be good company, however.”  
  
“I’m happy just to be with you,” Kuai Liang pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, just below the eye. “Would you like to eat?”  
  
Hanzo shook his head. “I think all the energy I have in me is to bathe and sleep.”  
  
“I don’t mind helping with that, either,” though his grin was cheeky there was nothing expectant in Kuai Liang’s eyes.  
  
The Shirai Ryu bathhouse, in comparison to the Lin Kuei, was meager, more utilitarian than a social setting- lighting stark, tile work plain, the baths themselves big enough just for two or three people at a time. On the other hand, possibly as a result of its plainness, it didn’t get nearly as much traffic as the Lin Kuei bathhouse did and it was empty when Hanzo and Kuai Liang entered. They undressed in silence, Kuai Liang folding his clothing and putting it in a basket while Hanzo shook the melted snow off of his first. He didn’t need to wear a jacket or long sleeves, even in the current storm but he did so just because some of the children in the compound worried he might catch cold. Kuai Liang never got over how Hanzo compromised for the sake of the young ones.  
  
Once they had both stripped, Kuai Liang, having the foresight to stash it there in first place, pulled down the basket of Hanzo’s bathing supplies and led him to the wall lined with faucets, bringing with them a pair of stools. While Kuai Liang pulled out the twigs and such from Hanzo’s hair, carefully untangling the wild knots, Hanzo took the nail pick from the basket, digging out the grime collected under his nails.  
  
“You seem exhausted,” Kuai Liang said, running his hands through Hanzo’s hair, doing an initial check for more knots before running a comb through the long strands.  
  
“It has been… trying,” he agreed, scowling down at a hangnail, a return offender that he clipped off. “This storm has caused us no end of trouble. Special Forces is unable to deliver our supplies and though we are not yet in any danger, we have to ration certain items. Tionne’s baby came nearly a month early and I was the only one capable of riding out to bring the midwife.” He twisted at the knobs, pulling the showerhead from its cradle and testing the water. “The Shirai Ryu in our compound at the base of the mountain are unable to come back up the path and communication with them has been difficult, a water pipe froze and burst before I could de-ice, one of our generators is struggling though we thankfully have a back-up, Umar broke his leg while on patrol and tonight a tree had fallen through one of the stable walls, causing three horses to bolt.”  
  
“No wonder Takeda was worried about you.” Kuai Liang waited until the older man wet his hair, pouring shampoo out into his hand before lathering it up, scrubbing at Hanzo’s scalp.  
  
He hummed, leaning into Kuai Liang’s fingers, all but melting. “What about you?” He eventually murmured. “How have things been for the Lin Kuei?”  
  
“Nothing nearly as interesting, I’m afraid. The only thing of note since we’ve last talked were some promotions.”  
  
“Tell me about them.”  
  
Kuai Liang paused, then tilted Hanzo’s head back so he could wash out the shampoo. “I don’t wish to bore you,” he said, setting the showerhead aside and slicking out the excess water from Hanzo’s hair.  
  
“You’re not a bore. I will confess,” he leaned back against Kuai Liang’s chest briefly, “I would like to hear your voice.”  
  
Kuai Liang smiled and pressed a long kiss to his temple. “Very well,” he nudged Hanzo forward in order to finish washing his hair, “there were five in all, three recruits who are now full fledged Lin Kuei, a new instructor and our recordkeeper, which was more of a formality than anything. She’d already been doing the work, just without the title.”  
  
He talked as he finished with Hanzo’s hair, wringing out the water before twisting it up and securing it with a wrap. And he talked as he scrubbed Hanzo’s back, gentle against his neck and over the backs of his ears, rubbing the shell of it, harder against his shoulders, back, making Hanzo arch and sigh. Kuai Liang scraped the dead skin from Hanzo’s elbow down to his fingers as he talked about a minor misunderstanding with Special Forces and a background check with one of the new recruits that was easily cleared up despite the annoyance, rubbing hard between his fingers, sweeping over the palms with a thumb. Hanzo leaned back against him, a warm, heavy yet comfortable weight as Kuai Liang passed the washcloth over his chest, first a little roughly to get him clean, then again, gently, more petting than not, more as an excuse to simply hold him than anything else.  
  
The washcloth passed over the hard curve of Hanzo’s hip, following the line of muscle down and Kuai Liang told him, “Up.” He couldn’t help the jolt of thrill as Hanzo stood, the quickening of his heart as he kneaded the cloth over the globes of his ass, rubbed down the crease, between Hanzo’s legs, movement gentle over his balls and thorough against his cock. Kuai Liang bit back a sigh as Hanzo’s thighs flexed around his hand, at the soft shudder of breath above him. He washed off the soap and kissed his hip, letting Hanzo know he could sit again.  
  
When he did, the older man shifted the stool so he was perpendicular to Kuai Liang, lifting a leg to drape it over Kuai Liang’s knees to make it easier for him to wash over the length. Hanzo put an arm over Kuai Liang’s shoulder, ostensibly for balance but his fingers combed through the short hairs against the back of Kuai Liang’s neck, twirling the strands idly. Kuai Liang washed one leg, then the other, then they shifted again, sitting between Hanzo’s knees so he could trim and clean the older man’s beard, then run the soft cloth over his face. When he finished, Hanzo opened his eyes and they just sat there, quietly watching each other through the gentle steam of the bathhouse. Then, like magnets, they drew in, kissing softly, lightly, parting just enough to lean their heads together, sharing the same breath.  
  
Hanzo, nearly half asleep leaning against Kuai Liang, asked, “Come to bed with me?”  
  
Kuai Liang couldn’t help pressing another kiss against the corner of his lips, “Of course.”  
  
He sighed, shifting closer. “If you’re up before I am, please wake me.”  
  
“No,” he said kindly, yet firmly. “You will wake when you are ready to. I will not disturb you, nor will I let anyone else.”  
  
Hanzo’s brow creased, though his eyes were still mostly shut. “I have to organize clean up for-”  
  
Another kiss hushed him. “You have very capable people here, they can figure things out on their own for a few hours. And if someone insists on bothering you, then I’ll freeze them until you wake on your own. It’ll be like time hadn’t passed for them at all.”  
  
Hanzo huffed and smiled despite himself. “Please don’t cryogenically freeze my people.”  
  
“Very well. But I will not let them disturb you.”  
  
“Fine,” he relented, pulling back to smile tiredly at Kuai Liang. “Thank you for your kindness and patience.”  
  
“Anything for you. I will be here whenever you need me. Again,” he pulled Hanzo to his feet, leading him to where their robes and slippers waited for them, “and always.”


	6. The Best Kind of Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is the cruelest man in the best way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Porn snippet. I just really wanted to have Kuai Liang bottom.

Kuai Liang let his breath out between his teeth in something between a snarl and a groan. If he were turned around he could see Hanzo smiling almost benevolently down on him, “Did you say something?”  
  
“You’re a damn tease.”  
  
“I have yet to hear you actually complain, so…” he hooked his fingers just so and got the most magnificent shudder.  
  
Kuai Liang’s head dropped down and it took all his will to keep the rest of his body from following. “You’ve been at this for hours.”  
  
“Hardly that long.” And it was so damn unfair that Hanzo could be that coherent when Kuai Liang was struggling to remember how his voice worked. “One at most.” Kuai Liang could do nothing more than moan as he was stretched. “If I’m doing something wrong, just tell me. You know I won’t deny your request.”  
  
A twist of Hanzo’s wrist and Kuai Liang’s arms gave out on him, toes curled, trying to rock back on his fingers for more. But the older man was a devil, moving his hand in tandem to keep the friction at a minimum. Kuai Liang snarled and moved his hips in desperate circles, hoping for something but got only an amused huff of breath warming sweat-soaked skin and a tender kiss to the small of his back.  
  
“Bastard…”  
  
“Tell me what you want,” fingers pushed in deep, wide, promising and Kuai Liang had to bite a whimper into his fist, “and I’ll do it.”  
  
He couldn’t even concentrate enough to retaliate with ice, sheets merely growing damp under him. Hanzo stroked a thigh, petting the skin, squeezing gently. It was sweet and soothing in contrast to the obscene things his other hand was doing and that, along with his words of gentle encouragement, was what broke Kuai Liang.  
  
“What was that?” Hanzo asked, deliberately clueless even as he rewarded the younger man with another satisfying stretch. “I can’t hear you when you mumble into the pillow.”  
  
Kuai Liang’s coherency was gone, left only with broken Mandarin that stumbled over each other as he begged. But Hanzo knew enough to recognize phrases like ‘I need you’, ‘please’ and 'more’ and when Hanzo removed his fingers and pushed his cock inside, he got a long, drawn out 'yes’.  
  
Hanzo waited, fully seated inside Kuai Liang, until the shivers died down and the younger man moved his hips, just tiny little circles to let him know he was ready. He pushed down, settling his weight over Kuai Liang’s back until they lay on the bed. Then Hanzo began rolling his hips, long and slow, never losing skin to skin contact. He mouthed at Kuai Liang’s back, nipping gently at his ear, running teeth at his spine. Kuai Liang murmured something Hanzo didn’t understand but when he bit down on the thick muscle at his shoulder, Kuai Liang moaned.  
  
His words were tapering off, Hanzo driving into him harder, faster, grinding Kuai Liang’s dick into the mattress, wringing out a faded whimper at the edge of each breath. Hanzo nosed against his cheek, dredging up enough coherency to weave their fingers together and say in Mandarin, “You’re beautiful.”  
  
Kuai Liang’s fingers tightened around him and he breathed out a shaky, “Hanzo,” before cumming against the sheets. Hanzo followed suit just a handful of thrusts after.  
  
They lay together in a daze, trying to catch their breaths. Kuai Liang shifted, just enough to pull the older man into a slow kiss, the kind they could lose themselves for days in. Eventually Hanzo pulled back, pulled out and let Kuai Liang roll to his side. He took a wet cloth from the bowl that had been set aside earlier, warming it in his hands and cleaning the both of them off. After, he lay back down on the bed, scooting close to the edge to bring Kuai Liang as far from the wetness as possible.  
  
He ran a hand through Kuai Liang’s hair and kissed the scar over his eye. “Are you alright?”  
  
Kuai Liang smiled, eyes closed and lazy, humming an affirmative. “You really are the cruelest man,” he said with no heat.  
  
Hanzo smiled and kissed him again. “But it’s the best kind of torture.”  
  
He snuggled against Hanzo, tucking himself under the older man’s jaw. “The best,” he agreed before exhaustion took him.


	7. Tender Mercies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a battle for dominance and winner takes all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Porn again. Not actually non-con, promise.

Sub-Zero's back hit column hard enough to make the old wood of the paifang groan. He didn't have the time to catch his breath before he brought his arms up to block a kick and then a left hook. A quick retaliatory hit to the chest- more shove than an actual blow -gave him the vital second to recover, matching all of Scorpion's following blows with tight defense. He formed a quick ball of frost in his hand, more powder than ice that didn't harm his rival on impact but succeeded in distracting him for the fraction necessary for Sub-Zero to go on the offensive.  
  
Neither had managed to do much more than minor bruises, unable to get the space to let loose with stronger attacks, unwilling to give the other that same chance. A deflected jab caused Scorpion to overbalance just enough to be unable to twist out of the way of an elbow slamming below his ribs and Sub-Zero could feel the heat of his breath being driven out of him in a hiss. Scorpion staggered back, one hand clutching his side, the other flinging out his rope dart. With a burst of power Sub-Zero slide under it, closing the distance between them but when he moved in for a knife hand strike Scorpion turned against him, jamming his shoulder up under Sub-Zero's armpit.  
  
For a moment they stood, locked together, before Scorpion shifted his weight, sending Sub-Zero to the ground and himself down with him. The ninja's weight drove the breath out of Sub-Zero and by the time the black edged out of his vision, Scorpion had his rope dart back in hand, looping it around Sub-Zero's wrists, pulling it tight and anchoring the kunai into the ground at an angle that made it near impossible to pull out without great effort.  
  
It happened so quickly that Sub-Zero was momentarily lost on what to do. "How-" he twisted his head around, trying to get a look at his bound hands. Scorpion let him, riding out his struggles with a smug calm, thighs flexing as if he was controlling an obstinate horse. He let Sub-Zero test the rope so he'd know it wouldn't give easily. Eventually the cryomancer settled, accepting the futility of struggling at that moment, still tense, and when he met Scorpion's gaze the pale gray of his pupils were blown wide, dilated from a mix of apprehension and anticipation. "What do you plan to do with me?"  
  
"Whatever I want." With a flick of his wrist Scorpion pulled one of the daggers from the other's belt, using the tip to pry the belt free of its catches, letting the ends fall almost delicately on either side of the bound man's waist. Then he worked loose the ties and catches keeping that blue vest closed. He pushed that open as well, pausing, letting the blade trace idly across the black underlayer as he glanced up at Sub-Zero's expression. That seemed to break him out of his trance though all he managed was a weak, 'bastard'.  
  
Though amused Scorpion otherwise ignored him, dealing with the remaining ties simply by slicing through them with a little application of leverage. When he pushed that final layer aside his fingers brushed against Sub-Zero's skin, causing fine shivers to follow in their wake. Scorpion let his weight settle across Sub-Zero's thighs, taking a moment to enjoy having the man helpless and vulnerable beneath him, Sub-Zero's breathing quick, causing the thick muscles of his abdomen to strain against the edge of his pants with every inhale. Scorpion's left hand, his empty one, traced down the middle of Sub-Zero's chest, brushing through the thick hairs clustered there, fingers tingling slightly at the sharp temperature difference between their skins. They traveled slow, gentle, like some absurd caress over the ridges of his abs, in the dip of his navel, following the trail of hair that disappeared beneath his waistband. Sub-Zero groaned as Scorpion traced that boundary, back and forth, with the tips of his fingers before pressing at the clasp. His hips arched up before he could clamp down on the instinct.  
  
"Eager?" Scorpion asked almost conversationally. "Perhaps you'd like to beg?"  
  
"Never."  
  
"Shall I make you?" In an obscenely easy movement, Scorpion thumbed the clasp open, causing Sub-Zero to suck in a breath reflexively. He hooked his fingers over the edge of the pants and underwear but as he began to pull them down, Sub-Zero struggled anew, planting his hips to the ground with all the strength he could. But Scorpion just wedged himself between his legs and jammed his shoulder under a thigh, nearly folding the younger man in half. He palmed Sub-Zero's ass, just to hear him spit curses, before yanking at the clothing, grinning to himself at what he found.  
  
"You like being manhandled," could have been called a purr had he been anyone other than Scorpion.  
  
Sub-Zero's face went nearly as flush as his cock, growing redder and stiffer by the moment. "Go to hell."  
  
He chuckled, secured in his position of power, running a palm from Sub-Zero's balls to the tip of his dick, petting it until it lay against his stomach, leaking and twitching. "Already have." He gripped the cock, letting his callouses run over every sensitive inch and Sub-Zero slammed his eyes shut, teeth gritted but unable to hold back a moan. "You're very responsive," the nail of his thumb traced against the thick vein on his cock, pressing the pad against the sensitive spot below the head with amazing accuracy. "Have you been thinking about this? How often have you wished you were in this very position, helpless under my hands?"  
  
Sub-Zero tossed his head to the side, shuddering, only the softest sounds managing to make it out from between his teeth. Scorpion's eyes narrowed and he let the man lay fully on the ground again. "Oh, no. We can't have that." He leaned forward and when the barest weight of his hand settled on Sub-Zero's mask, his eyes snapped open again. He only managed to slip his mask out of Scorpion's grasp once before he unhooked it from Sub-Zero's face, then pulled the lower part of the balaclava down, revealing a panicked expression. Scorpion pressed the edge of his thumb between his lips, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction. "I want to hear how much you want this."  
  
He pulled back just in time to get only a glancing nip of teeth. "You have nothing I want, Shirai Ryu dog."  
  
"We shall see." He took another dagger from Sub-Zero's belt and the younger man strained his neck to see what he was doing. Scorpion yanked Sub-Zero's pants down to mid-thigh, then wove the blade through the ties before sinking it into the ground, effectively pinning Sub-Zero's legs so long as he wanted to keep his pants untorn. He bristled at that but was unable to do more than glare.  
  
Scorpion merely smirked at him before standing, staring at his helpless rival like he had all the time in the world to enjoy the scene. His eyes traced over the long muscles in Sub-Zero's arms, the bared expanse of his chest, down to his dick, nearly fully hard from Scorpion's fondling. Scorpion let a hand drag lazily over his own thigh, following the edge of the leather plating, watching the way Sub-Zero's eyes followed until it slipped beneath the panels of his vest. The muscles in his forearm flexed as he squeezed himself through his pants, eyelids fluttering and soft groan audible through his mask. Sub-Zero's cock twitched, hardening further as he watched Scorpion's hand move just out of sight.  
  
Then the hand paused and Sub-Zero, realizing he'd been caught watching, clamped his teeth down around his lower lip, turning his head to one side.  
  
An act of defiance that fell flat when he saw the ninja push those obscenely tight pants down with a sensuous roll of his body, down passed his knees until the boots got in the way. He knelt, straddling over Sub-Zero's hips and Scorpion could feel the tip of his cock brush against the inside of his thigh. A hand traced over newly bared skin, waiting until he was certain he had Sub-Zero's attention before slipping back under the panel of his vest, out of sight, where he pushed a finger inside himself with an involuntary moan.  
  
Sub-Zero's jaw dropped open.  
  
He slipped in another finger, then another, stretching himself out, knuckles brushing against Sub-Zero's cock as he pumped in and out. He had to steady himself with a hand braced against Sub-Zero's abdomen, feeling the muscles shifting below his palm with each quick breath. Scorpion moaned again, thighs trembling visibly as he stretched himself to satisfaction. Sub-Zero squirmed and cursed, unable to watch those fingers disappearing inside his rival. Deeming himself loose enough Scorpion shifted, reaching back to grab Sub-Zero's dick and hold him in position.  
  
Realizing what was about to happen, Sub-Zero froze, eyes flickering from where the older man held his cock steady to his face and back, arousal overcome by worry. Under his mask, Scorpion smirked in amusement. "Wait- what are-" Sub-Zero's protest drowned in a throaty groan as Scorpion sank onto him, a slow but steady slide that made both of them tremble. Scorpion shifted his hips until he had Sub-Zero seated within him the way he wanted. Sub-Zero stared up at him, amazed and half-delirious with pleasure. "You... you-"  
  
Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by Scorpion clenching around him tight. He circled his hips, rolled them, made a myriad of minuscule movements and each one of them got increasingly stronger shudders until Sub-Zero could hardly catch his breath, his own body twitching in reaction, trying to get something more. When Scorpion grinded down on him it made Sub-Zero whimper and when he lifted up just a fraction of an inch, it got a gasp. Relishing the power, Scorpion leaned back, bracing one hand on Sub-Zero's thigh where his pants were still clinging to him, teasing the younger man with tiny shifts until he was breathless, scar-marred brow furrowed as he tried to keep himself from responding.  
  
But Sub-Zero's body betrayed him, resistance crumbling as his hips strained, trying to get more friction when Scorpion obliged, pushing himself almost entirely up on his knees, long, slow, until just the head of Sub-Zero's dick remained and sank, just as agonizingly slow, back down. Sub-Zero's silence broke then, half-intelligible Mandarin spilling out of him and even if Scorpion didn't know what he was saying he understood the tone. His dark eyes grew darker, leaning forward to brace his hot hands on Sub-Zero's chest.  
  
Then he rode Sub-Zero like the damn world was ending.  
  
The cryomancer cursed loudly, feet scrabbling for purchase, for some kind of leverage so he could slam his hips up, arms straining against their binds. Scorpion barely paid him any mind, hips pistoning hard and fast, muscles rippling around Sub-Zero's cock, clenching tightly, drawing stuttered breaths on the upstroke and broken moans on the down.  
  
He begged. From the desperate arching of his hips to his open mouthed panting down to his gaze, helplessly locked onto his rival, burning each expression, each noise deep into his memory, Sub-Zero begged. For more, for release, for anything Scorpion was willing to give him while the brutal pace melted him down to the marrow.  
  
Scorpion's head was thrown back, the soft chanting 'yes' muffled between his mask and moans as he bounced on Sub-Zero's cock, fingers digging what was certain to be bruises against his sides. He was close. He was so damn close and the cryomancer knew it between the groans growing increasingly breathless and desperate and thighs trembling as they flexed. He tried, he truly did, to hold out, but Sub-Zero couldn't keep his will from shattering as he came in that tight, warm heat so hard his breath punched out between gritted teeth with a whimper. Scorpion stilled, body clenching reflexively at each pulse filling him. He shifted his weight back, pushing the leather panels of his vest over his thighs, revealing his cock, stiff and dark and leaking. He fisted himself, tugging it with the kind of abandon only the truly desperate could achieve, unable to tear his gaze away from Sub-Zero, vulnerable and open beneath him, slowly coming down from his euphoria. Dark eyelashes fluttered and pale eyes locked onto his, still too disoriented to hide his enamored gaze. He whispered Scorpion's name like a song and it triggered Scorpion's own release, shooting hot strings of semen over the dark hairs and pale skin of Sub-Zero's chest.  
  
With the strength gone out of him, Scorpion slumped over, hood braced against Sub-Zero's shoulder as he fought to control his breathing. A fine layer of steam curled out between the two and he could feel the other man's pulse slowing from where the bridge of his nose pressed against cool skin. Eventually Scorpion pushed himself upright and said almost teasingly, "You broke character."  
  
Kuai Liang let out a groan that could've been a whine if anyone were brave enough to accuse him of such. "Like you didn't. If I had my mask to hide behind like you did, you wouldn't have known."  
  
"Still broke character." Hanzo lifted himself off Kuai Liang's flaccid cock, then settled back down on his thighs. "You know the rules."  
  
Yeah, he knew them, and yeah he absolutely was looking forward to the 'punishment' but Kuai Liang felt he should make some sort of defense. "There's no one in all the realms that could've resisted that show you put on."  
  
"If you feel it was so unfair," Hanzo said conversationally, leaning over so he could unbind the other's wrists. Once they were freed and Kuai Liang ran his hands over bared knees, the older man leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Get good."  
  
In his periphery he saw Kuai Liang's eyes go wide. "Did you just-" abruptly he was flipped over, rolled onto his back with Kuai Liang growling in exaggeration, running a series of sharp, playful bites down his neck and chest. Hanzo let himself be pinned down, laughing too hard to struggle. Kuai Liang pulled back, staring at him with such fondness that Hanzo couldn't help giving him the loveliest smile in return. A hand brushed through Hanzo's hair. He lifted his head, allowing Kuai Liang to push his hood away from his face, hand cradling his cheek, "Gods, I can't get over how beautiful you are." Then he leaned down and kissed him, slow and sweet and Hanzo reached up to push Kuai Liang's balaclava down so he could twine his fingers in the short, sweaty strands.  
  
When Kuai Liang pulled back, he shifted aside the panels of Hanzo's vest, tilting his head to one side and Hanzo knew exactly what he was looking at, could feel the trickle running down a thigh. He squirmed and flushed, lips twisting in a smile between sultry and shy. "Pervert."  
  
"You're fault for being so maddening. This was in the way, I couldn't see a thing," he flicked at the leather panel with annoyance before leaning in for another kiss. A finger pressed against Hanzo's hole, slipping inside with a lewd sound, making both of them groan. "I can't believe you actually prepared yourself for this."  
  
"I knew what I wanted."  
  
"And how to get it," he admitted. "I should've known when I saw you wearing those pants. So," he rubbed the pad of his finger against Hanzo's prostate, making him jolt, "distracting."  
  
Ignoring the jump in his pulse, the older man shot him a look of playful offense. "Are you implying I wouldn't have won otherwise?"  
  
Kuai Liang's other hand gripped Hanzo's ass, squeezing it tightly. "You would've gotten what you wanted regardless. But yes, I am implying that." He flashed a teasing grin.  
  
Hanzo fisted Kuai Liang's hair, bringing him down to growl against his lips, "Bring it on."


	8. Whisper in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's well passed midnight and Hanzo has a confession to make.

It’s creeping up on early morning by the time Hanzo makes his way into the room, quietly and with permission from the Lin Kuei guards at the gate (not that they were capable of stopping him but it allowed them to get word to their higher ups that the Shirai Ryu grandmaster was there so they wouldn’t get a shock). Ambient light from outside spills into the room, a sliver of it cast over the bed and framing Kuai Liang, bare chested and half tangled in the sheets. Hanzo undresses and carefully straightens the bedding as best he can, coaxing a corner out from under a leg, gently prying open a fist, hands lingering as he lays the sheet across broad shoulders.  
  
Hanzo slips in bed next to the younger man, propped on an elbow to study him, the scar on his face, the disheveled mess of his hair, the way his cheek presses on the pillow. Hanzo shimmies a little closer, brushing his lips on Kuai Liang’s shoulder. The contact makes Kuai Liang turn over, eyelashes fluttering slightly as he mumbles out Hanzo’s name and something that might have been a greeting as he seeks the older man out, nuzzling against his chest. It’s such a sweet moment, so purely Kuai Liang that Hanzo can’t help the emotion that feels like it’s going to burst his heart. He’d been psyching himself up for this confession for weeks, telling himself that Kuai Liang deserves to hear it and that his family would have been happy for him and for a moment upon entering the Lin Kuei temple, Hanzo had lost his resolve for it. But there, now, with the weight of Kuai Liang’s head on his shoulder, breath against his collarbone, fingers twitching low on Hanzo’s belly, it seems like the easiest thing in the world to say it, breathing in the subtle scent of his mussed up hair, “I love you.”  
  
Kuai Liang’s head lifts up suddenly, face scrunched like he’s squinting though his eyes are still closed. “Did you just say you love me?” His words run together, barely intelligible.  
  
“I thought you were asleep.”  
  
“Did you?”  
  
“…yes.”  
  
A smile crosses Kuai Liang’s lips, lethargy making it slow and sweet. He rests his head back on Hanzo’s chest, hand coming up to run through the dark hair there. “Making sure I didn’t dream it.” When he exhales it’s a little chilly but Hanzo’s heart is thudding hard enough to negate the temperature difference. “Shouldn’t say it when I’m asleep,” Kuai Liang’s words slur even more, “can’t say I love you back.”  
  
Hanzo can feel him fall back asleep and he turns his head so he can hide his smile against Kuai Liang’s hair. He holds him close all night.


	9. Hopes Springs Eternal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not the vacation they'd been hoping for but it's everything they wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of fluff topped off with porn.

It was no secret how busy their responsibilities to their respective clans, other organizations and the Earthrealm in general left both Kuai Liang and Hanzo and even though both understood, it still occasionally put a strain on their relationship- also not a secret despite how private they were about it -not being able to see each other for weeks at a time.  
  
But even when teleporting to the other was out of the question there were still ways to ease those long days apart. I, Kuai Liang thought as the alert on his computer went off, will never complain about technology again. He set aside his work, positioning himself in front of the screen- and more importantly the camera -and waited for the chat to connect. The window flickered and there was Hanzo, three timezones and half a continent away, smiling back at him. The video quality wasn't the best and had a slight delay in the transmission but Kuai Liang could see him and hear him. He could content himself with that for a while.  
  
Taking a moment to gauge the time, Kuai Liang asked, "Did you just get back from dinner?"  
  
"/Yes./"  
  
His lips pulled back in a grin, "Seems you had some fun tonight." He nodded towards Hanzo's shoulder.  
  
It took nearly a second- a clear connection tonight -for the other man to look down. He huffed with laughter as he pulled a streamer off his clothing. "/It was one of the caretakers' birthday tonight. The children insisted on a party./"  
  
Kuai Liang cupped his chin in hand. "Tell me about it."  
  
He could listen to Hanzo talk about nearly anything but he especially loved watching him talk about the children, so warm and animate and undeniably fond of each of them. He doted on every last one when he wasn't being strict and firm, loved them as if they were his own and they, in turn, swarmed him as if he were their best friend, eager to tell him all about the excitements of their day.  
  
Eventually Hanzo came to a stop, rubbing at his neck and looking away in embarrassment. No matter how many times Kuai Liang assured him he didn't mind- and in fact encouraged it -Hanzo always felt self-conscious when he realized he'd been talking for some time. When Hanzo looked back at the camera, shy smile on his face, Kuai Liang silently lamented he couldn't take the man's face in his hands and kiss him silly.  
  
"/What about you? How has your day been?/"  
  
Despite his best attempt at a poker face- and he did have an excellent one -Kuai Liang couldn't keep all the eagerness off his expression. It caused Hanzo to tilt his head with a sideways look, amused and knowing. Even through the limitations of the video chat, he could tell something was up. "/What are you excited about?/"  
  
Just barely keeping himself from breaking out into a huge grin, Kuai Liang all but blurted out, "My clan built me a hot spring."  
  
When they'd first talked about it they had hoped the other enjoyed it as well but hadn't actually expected them to. Not just enjoying hot springs but hot springs in winter, in high, solitary mountains with snow coming down. They had made plans to go to one together or at least made the attempt but each year they had to keep putting it off: Special Forces needed help running missions, Red Dragons were being too active, issues were coming up in their clans- always something and always at the last minute.  
  
But not anymore. "It's not actually a hot spring given the lack of geothermal heating, it's just basically a small pool they put into the ground and filled with water."  
  
"/But if I were there the lack of heat wouldn't matter/," Hanzo half asked, half teased.  
  
"Given the correct conditions and my own abilities, we wouldn't have to wait for it to snow, either."  
  
Hanzo ducked his head and chuckled, the sound soft but still warm through the speakers. "/Actually, my clan made me one as well./"  
  
Kuai Liang raised an eyebrow. "While we were both in Outworld? I doubt this is a coincidence."  
  
"/Agreed./"  
  
Their failed attempts to a vacation were hardly secret among their respective clans and the fact that their people had actually done this for them, it was humbling. It was also incredibly exciting. "So which one should we try out first?"  
  
He chuckled again, shaking his head slightly at Kuai Liang's almost childish glee. "/You did ask before I could./"  
  
The younger man secretly thrilled about that. "When would you be able to come?"  
  
"/There shouldn't be any issues for the rest of the night, nor do I have pressing engagements in the morning./" It was a little grainy, but Kuai Liang could see Hanzo biting his lip for a brief moment. "/I could come after a quick shower if that is alright with you./"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
They ended the conversation quickly, both eager for the night. Kuai Liang showered- brief but thorough -and began to gather up things to take to his new pool. He'd told Hanzo he'd have everything prepared, including a robe in his room to use, and that he needn't bring anything but himself. The pool wasn't far from his room, a path newly laid with flat stones branching off from the small porch leading away from the populated areas of the Lin Kuei temple. The work had impressed Kuai Liang if not just for his clan's ability to have completed all that work in the one month he'd been gone. It wasn't too far from the temple as to cause problems but also not so close he would be bothered by noise- additional foliage had been planted to give the area even more privacy.  
  
The pool itself was fairly small, roughly seven by five feet and somewhat kidney shaped, around three feet deep with a ledge for sitting. The lip of the pool was rounded, making it comfortable to lean against and large stones were deliberately set up to make it look as much like a natural hot spring as was possible for something that very much wasn't. If he leaned over the railing he could see the roof of the temple below but from the pool itself he'd only be able to see the peaks of the surrounding mountains through the thin branches of the trees. Around the pool were dozens of candles, or rather several raised stands full of tiny lights made to look like tealights that could be turned on with the flick of a switch. Each stand had a small dish for heating up scented oils which Kuai Liang filled with the scent of plum blossoms, something Hanzo once admitted he missed from Osaka.  
  
He set a tray of sake to the side of the pool, already heated and Kuai Liang took a moment to enjoy the scent of it. The sake set was a gift from Hanzo some time back, a sloping mentori-shaped tokkuri and two ochoko with a slight outward edge designed for complimenting sake with lighter, more delicate and complex tastes- Kuai Liang's preferred grades. They were made of white porcelain, the surface covered with the masterful brushstroke of a blue Chinese dragon. Sometimes, when he was feeling particularly yearning and sentimental, Kuai Liang would hold one of the pieces and think of Hanzo.  
  
After that was set up, towels nearby, Kuai Liang stood back and took a deep breath. Then he closed his eyes and focused on chilling the air around him, grateful that the natural landscape around him would keep the colder air generally contained instead of letting it escape into a mildly warm night. The temperature dropped nearly fifteen degrees before he stopped, having to lean against the rail to catch his breath. While lowering the temperature wasn't nearly as strenuous as generating ice- in fact it took more focus to keep himself from doing so subconsciously -to do so at the extent he had was still a feat. But given relative humidity, the chance he could actually make it snow was worth it.  
  
A flicker caught Kuai Liang's attention in time to catch the light in his room turning off. He watched the door to the porch slide open and someone coming out. Excitement caused his heart to thud in his chest, making a giddy smile cross his lips and Kuai Liang pushed off the rail, slipping out of his robe and into the pool to wait.  
  
There was noise on the paved path, the soft shuffling of someone so ingrained with moving silently deliberately trying not to. Kuai Liang turned just as Hanzo approached, hair down, still damp from his shower and wearing the robe Kuai Liang left out for him. The older man's breath steamed lightly in the air as he looked around, taking in the new 'spring', the candles and- a grin tugging his lips when he saw it -the tokkuri and ochoko. "Impressive," he said before undoing the belt and hanging the borrowed robe on a hook next to Kuai Liang's.  
  
He barely noticed, though, sucking in a breath as Hanzo stood wonderfully nude before him. Hanzo's slippers came off easily and when he approached the edge of the pool, Kuai Liang stood, just as naked, and greeted him by placing his hands on Hanzo's waist as if to help him in but really just as an excuse to kiss his navel, his chest, his lips as Hanzo stepped down next to him.  
  
They sat on the ledge, water hitting just below their collarbones and Kuai Liang could feel heat emanating from the other man. He brushed back Hanzo's long hair, kissing the side of his face, "Thank you for coming."  
  
"Thank you for having me."  
  
A hand slid over Hanzo's thigh, just above his knee. "I would have you anywhere you'd allow me."  
  
Hanzo snorted, turning his head to bump his nose against Kuai Liang's, "Starting this early, are we? You didn't drink all the sake waiting for me, did you?"  
  
"Having you next to me like this is intoxication enough."  
  
That got him a laugh, a low chuckle that Kuai Liang could feel in his own chest. They kissed again before parting, Kuai Liang moving just inside an arm's length away as Hanzo heated the water. Steam began to curl over the surface, making the cool air feel even crisper. Kuai Liang slung an arm over the lip of the pool, jaw braced in one hand. "So how does this measure to yours?"  
  
"Similar enough that if I doubted it was a coincidence before, I wouldn't now." Hanzo's leg shifted, foot dragging lightly over the younger man's shin. "Our clans spoil us."  
  
"They do, though I would argue you deserve it."  
  
"As I would you."  
  
They grinned silly, giddy little grins and even if it wasn't exactly what they'd been planning and unable to follow through on for years, it was even better because they now had the means to do something just as good whenever they wanted. They laid their arms across the edge, letting entwined fingers graze the water, neither feeling compelled to do more than just watch each other. Kuai Liang continued to cool the air as Hanzo heated the pool, hands tingling softly at the temperature difference, steam rising between them just as much as it did from the water. Once the differing temperatures were suitable, Kuai Liang- insisting -poured the sake out for both of them. They just sat and talked and drank, watching each other, quietly enamored.  
  
Over time Hanzo scooted in closer, Kuai Liang not noticing at first until their elbows brushed together. He blinked, looking at the older man who just smiled deliberately and Kuai Liang grinned back, settling himself against the edge of the pool and opening his arms. Not needing further invitation, Hanzo nestled himself against Kuai Liang's chest, letting an arm settle over his shoulder. After Kuai Liang lowered his ochoko from his lips, Hanzo asked, "Refill?"  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
He had to shift off of Kuai Liang, twisting slightly to get to the tokkuri. From the corner of his eye, Kuai Liang saw him hesitate and, instead of grabbing the flask Hanzo picked up something else, holding it out to Kuai Liang with a raised eyebrow. "You're so certain of this."  
  
His eyes flickered to the bottle of silicone lube, mostly empty, the label somewhat ragged along the edges, and flushed though he gave Hanzo a cheeky grin. "A man can hope."  
  
Hanzo put the lube back and refilled both their drinks before settling against Kuai Liang again. "It's not an unfounded hope."  
  
They kept talking and drinking. When they ran out of sake, they set their ochoko aside and when they ran out of topics, they fell silent and stared up at the night sky together, watching as clouds slowly started rolling in. Someone shifted and Kuai Liang's arm dropped down, sliding low onto Hanzo's belly and he heard the older man's sharp intake of breath, felt his hips flex and coarse hair and a somewhat hard cock brush against his wrist.  
  
Under the candlelight he could see Hanzo flushing. Kuai Liang tightened his grip around Hanzo, arm moving back higher on his waist, and nosed against his hair. "Perhaps I'm not the only one that's hopeful about tonight."  
  
Hanzo couldn't help the tiny smile, guilty but eager, looking down at the water rippling around him shyly, hand cupped against the surface.  
  
And he squirted water in Kuai Liang face.  
  
Kuai Liang shook his head, droplets flying, "You-" he got a second squirt in the mouth that time. He spluttered and pushed at the water with both hands, making a wave big enough to hit Hanzo across the jaw. "You brat!"  
  
They splashed at each other, laughing like children, until Kuai Liang ducked under another watery assault and dove at Hanzo, wrapping one arm around his waist, the other pushing his head down into the pool. He broke the surface again, half laughing, half coughing, hair in his face like a ghost until Kuai Liang brushed it back. They clung together in a fit of snickers, Kuai Liang's hand cupping Hanzo's neck, Hanzo's hand on Kuai Liang's forearm, pressed forehead to forehead and unable to hold back goofy smiles.  
  
Hanzo pulled back in surprise. "It's snowing!"  
  
A tiny white flake did indeed float passed them, melting in the steam before it reached the pool and when they looked up they saw more falling toward them. They were so small and few in number, hardly worth noting at all except that it was still late summer. Kuai Liang grinned, "I didn't actually expect that to work."  
  
A hand cupping his cheek brought Kuai Liang's attention back to the man in his arms with dark eyes so full of emotion it threatened to drown Kuai Liang in ways water never could. "This truly is perfect."  
  
"It is indeed."  
  
It was perfect even without the snow or sake, the stars or candles, even without the almost hot spring. It was perfect because they could laugh and relax and not have to be responsible for anything but themselves. It was perfect because they were together. Their lips brushed together softly, more caress than kiss, before coming together again, each kiss growing deeper, bolder, unable to stay apart for more than a fraction of a second. Hanzo's hands came up, cupping strong shoulders as Kuai Liang moved them toward the edge of the pool, half sitting on the ledge and arranging the older man across his lap. The water splashed quietly as they explored each other, as if they could have possibly forgotten how the other's body felt. Teeth found an earlobe, thumb rubbing circles over a nipple. Fingers kneaded into thick muscles, bellies pressing together as they tried to get even closer, legs twining. They whispered each other's name like a promise and it was returned with tender eyes, gentle touches that meant more than words ever could.  
  
Hanzo took one of Kuai Liang's hands, guiding it under the water, down his body until it was between his legs, pressing Kuai Liang's long fingers up against him. "Please," he said softly and Kuai Liang had to kiss him as he pushed a finger in, soft and slow because how could he not?  
  
It was tight and while he could tell Hanzo's stuttered breathing wasn't from pain, the way his hands flexed against Kuai Liang's back suggested it wasn't exactly comfortable. He gave Hanzo a gentle kiss on the cheek before pulling away, reaching for the lube still nestled among the sake items. As he pulled the bottle toward him, Kuai Liang knocked one of the ochoko into the pool, making him pause of a moment before deciding to worry about that later. Few things were more important than Hanzo's hips flexing against his hand.  
  
When he slipped a finger- generously coated -back inside Hanzo it got him a sigh, the kind Hanzo always gave whenever he wanted more. His lips grazed Kuai Liang's temple as he said, "Another." After pulling his hand back to coat two fingers, Kuai Liang complied. He stretched the older man, slow and achingly sweet, loving the way his body arched and jaw dropped open. One of Hanzo's arms came up to brace against the rounded edge of the pool, giving himself the leverage to tilt his hips more, knees coming up and spreading out, encouraging Kuai Liang to pump faster, stretch more. When Hanzo started to groan low, water vibrating around them, the younger man asked, "More?" Hanzo nodded breathlessly, muscles quivering in pleasure.  
  
Kuai Liang leaned in to kiss Hanzo's mouth as he pushed in a third finger. Hanzo wasn't quite able to respond to it, teeth biting his lip as pleased moans threatened to escape him so Kuai Liang trailed kisses along his cheek and jaw, licking up the sweat and water clinging to Hanzo's neck. Kuai Liang rubbed his thumb over his perineum, massaging Hanzo's prostate from both inside and out, making him shout aloud, voice crisp and sudden in the otherwise quiet. Kuai Liang kept up the massage until Hanzo's cries turned into whimpers. One arm clung to Kuai Liang's back, fingers digging in almost painfully if it didn't feel so damn good. Water splashed between them and over the lip of the pool as Hanzo pistoned his hips desperately against Kuai Liang's hand.  
  
If he had to pick a favorite part about sex with Hanzo- if Kuai Liang  _could_  pick one -it would be that. Watching him give himself over to sensation, so open about what he wanted and what he liked, unafraid to work himself to the edge of bliss. Kuai Liang loved it, didn't think he could ever not be amazed by it, pleasure making Hanzo so beautiful he verged on unreal. And when Hanzo opened his eyes, looking at him with such devotion, such love, it made emotions well up so deep in Kuai Liang's chest it was hard to breath.  
  
He buried his face against Hanzo's neck, "Please," he begged, "let me be inside you."  
  
Hanzo gripped him close, fingers tangling in his hair and said simply, "Yes."  
  
He pulled his fingers out of Hanzo but hesitated, not entirely willing to move the arm he'd wrapped around the other man's waist, anchoring them together. Hanzo gave an amused huff before reaching around to grab the lube, squeezing a dollop into his hand before wrapping it around Kuai Liang's dick. He worked it with a tight grip, twisting his wrist as he pumped. And kept pumping well after Kuai Liang was coated, stopping only when the younger man pulled his arm up and away, bringing it up so he could kiss Hanzo's wrist and growl playfully, "Cheater."  
  
Hanzo just grinned, knees coming up out of the water as he displayed himself under the rippling surface. Kuai Liang groaned, shifting until he could press in, holding still as the tightness and heat left him breathless. A tender kiss to his scarred eye made him stir. "Are you ready?" Hanzo nodded and kissed him again and Kuai Liang began to move, the tempo of his hips building the more Hanzo's breath hitched.  
  
His arms and legs wrapped around Kuai Liang, clinging to him more than resting against the side of the pool, thighs flexing as he met the younger man stroke for stroke. Kuai Liang braced a forearm against the pool's edge, the other on Hanzo's back. It had been so long and they were both so close already, Kuai Liang could feel it in the arch of Hanzo's spine, in the tension between the press of their chests, in how he could no longer hold back the rush of half-formed Mandarin. Hanzo's fingers tangled in his hair, bringing Kuai Liang to him, lips close to his ear and Kuai Liang let it flow out of him, every word and praise, begging and promising, whispered where only Hanzo could hear. He moved his arm from around Hanzo's back, finding his neglected cock and pulling it roughly, with all the coordination he had left. There was a broken cry and the older man tucked his face against Kuai Liang's neck, shuddering hard and ejaculating into Kuai Liang's hand. But he kept his legs locked tight around Kuai Liang's waist, silent permission for him to keep going until, leaning heavily against Hanzo, pressing him against the side of pool, he came with a muffled sound.  
  
They pieced themselves together, bit by bit, and slowly pulled apart just enough to rearrange themselves side by side, leaning heavily against each other. A snowflake actually managed to land on Kuai Liang's cheek and Hanzo leaned up to kiss it away. Their hands found each other under the water, bodies so close air could barely pass through. They simply smiled, content to stay that way for the rest of the night.


	10. Made with Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which cooking is discovered to not be one of Kuai Liang's strong point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set somewhat earlier in the relationship.

He woke up to a cold bed. The kind of cold that came from the space simply being left vacant and not because Kuai Liang had nightmares that made it difficult for him to face Hanzo which was a deep relief. He took a moment to stretch, rubbing at his eyes before pushing himself out of bed and into the bathroom where he could wash his face and run a comb through his hair. Usually if one got up before the other, nightmare or otherwise, they could generally be found in a corner of the kitchen with some tea, out of the way of anyone preparing breakfast, waiting for the other to arrive. So Hanzo headed down there, robed and slippered, breathing in the crisp air in attempt to chase off any remaining sleep.  
  
In the middle of the hall he paused. There was a crowd of people huddled by a door and it took Hanzo a moment to realize every one of them was part of the kitchen staff. He frowned to himself, wondering why they were all out there instead of preparing breakfast. Before he had a chance to clear his throat, one of the young apprentices saw him. "Master Hanzo!" The lot of them jolted to attention, and he got a look of their guilty expressions before they all bowed at him. "Good morning!"  
  
He just waved it off. "What's going on?" If Kuai Liang was indeed in the kitchen, he wouldn't appreciate being gawked at. When everyone just shifted, glancing at each other and trying not to look at him, Hanzo knew whatever it was was about the errant grandmaster. "Well?" His voice grew sterner.  
  
Eventually one of the cooks- the second most senior -gestured to the door and said, "The grandmaster is, um, cooking. We thought it best not to bother him."  
  
Of all the things he was expecting, this was not among them. He peered around the frame and sure enough Kuai Liang was by the stove, wearing one of Hanzo's robes and his hair still a disheveled mess. Next to him was the head chef, an older women less known for her patience than even Hanzo, visibly keeping herself from ripping her pan from Kuai Liang's grasp and kicking him out of her kitchen.  
  
Deciding to take pity on the poor woman- and the kitchen staff that would have to sit through her ranting about the event -Hanzo stepped in, raising his hand to catch her attention through her periphery. She gave him a look that was half relieved, half frustrated before sweeping out into the hall. Her escape got Kuai Liang's attention who froze when he saw his new company. "Hanzo," he very nearly squeaked, eyes darting to the pan and back, "you're up."  
  
"And you're cooking." He tried not to let his surprise come off as disbelief.  
  
"Well," Kuai Liang cast a glance aside, "attempting may be more accurate." Among the cluttered mess on the counter was a plate stacked with burnt or torn- or both -crepes.  
  
"Why are you making crepes?" Hanzo lifted the edge of one with a finger. "It's a popular food item around here, we always keep a stack in the freezer to save time."  
  
Red crept up Kuai Liang's cheeks as he all but muttered, "I asked if I could."  
  
That was a complete evasion if he'd ever heard one. "You asked my head chef- someone who is so possessive of her kitchen she made me remodel  _twice_  when the first time didn't meet her exact specifications -if you- someone whose culinary expertise she has no clue of -could cook and she just let you." He snorted but let it slide, taking the pan instead. "Here, let me." It only looked like there was enough batter left for four, maybe five more attempts.  
  
Obediently Kuai Liang stepped aside, watching as Hanzo sprayed the pan with oil before ladling in the batter, spreading it around with practiced twists of his wrist.  
  
"You're very confident with that," he noted.  
  
"I don't cook as often as I'd like. Kana hadn't been very patient in the kitchen, so I took care of cooking when I was there." He'd been getting better at being able to talk about his family, the sharp stabs of loss and guilt becoming rarer as he focused more on fonder memories. Kuai Liang put a hand against his back, just enough pressure to be comforting. "I find the repetitive movements to be soothing, not unlike a kata." With an easy flick, he flipped the crepe in the pan, drawing an impressed grunt from the younger man.  
  
"I may not have through this through completely."  
  
Hanzo chuckled, shifting the crepe slightly to ensure it was done before sliding it onto one of the empty plates by his elbow before starting the process over again. "What do you want in your crepe?"  
  
"I'll take whatever you're having."  
  
Keeping an eye on the pan, he surveyed the counter and was glad to find filling had already been made- egg scrambled with what looked like peppers and spinach, slices of ham, shredded cheese-  
  
Hanzo froze as the realization hit him. "...were you doing this for me?"  
  
"I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed."  
  
He gaped as if he heard the words but was unable to comprehend them. Kuai Liang's eyes shifted. "Hanzo. The crepe."  
  
There was a sharp curse followed by the burnt crepe going on the reject pile and a new one being put in the pan. Silence settle over them, awkward and hanging over their shoulders as Hanzo tried, bit by bit, to hide behind his hair. Kuai Liang's words ran through his head, making his heart race and cheeks flush.  
  
The other man shifted, trying not to shrink in on himself. "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. Would you like me to go?"  
  
"No, please. Stay." He flipped the crepe, pan shaking slightly. With a deep breath, Hanzo stood upright, letting his hair fall back over his shoulders. "It's just been so long since anyone's been as thoughtful and attentive to me as you have been and it's a little daunting."  
  
"Should I stop?"  
  
"No. It doesn't make me uncomfortable." His cheeks managed, somehow, to get even dark, shy smile curling at his lips. "It... actually makes me very happy." Hanzo indicated to the food as he slid it onto another empty plate. "How did you know I like this?"  
  
It was Kuai Liang's turn to turn uncomfortably red. "I may have asked Takeda to find out for me."  
  
Hanzo narrowed his eyes. He knew how enthusiastic Takeda was in helping along their relationship. "Is that why everyone's been pretending they weren't watching me eat these past few weeks?" If Takeda spread the word around, it was no wonder the head chef let Kuai Liang cook given what a huge romantic she secretly was.  
  
"I can neither confirm nor deny this."  
  
He huffed, a smile ghosting over his lips. "You could've just asked."  
  
"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise when I made it for you."  
  
Hefting the pan pointedly, Hanzo replied, "You didn't exactly make it this time, either."  
  
"Ouch, strike a man where he's weak."  
  
He chuckled but amended as he fixed up his crepe, "Well, you did make the filling so I can't say you didn't cook anything for me."  
  
Kuai Liang gave a wry look at the finished platter and the garnish Hanzo added to make it look professional. "At least practice worked out for everything else."  
  
"You practiced making this?"  
  
"Of course." His tone was half dry, half sarcastic, "Given the shared history between us and our clans, I don't believe it's wise for one grandmaster to poison another, even if it's by accident."  
  
Hanzo put the plate aside, ignoring the comment and looking deep into Kuai Liang's eyes as he asked, "You practiced making this for me?"  
  
Put on the spot by the question, his culinary failure and the intensity of Hanzo's eyes, the cryomancer ducked his head, rubbing a palm over the arch of his neck as he tried to hide a blush. "I wanted to make sure it would taste good. I... wanted you to like it." The blush intensified.  
  
Hands cupped along his jaw, tilting Kuai Liang's head up enough so Hanzo could lean in and kiss him. A gentle thing no less intense than his gaze had been. "I have yet to figure out what I've done," their lips brushed together, "to have you be such an important part of my life. But I am grateful for it, every single day." They kissed again and Kuai Liang's hands came up over Hanzo's biceps, thumbs rubbing light little circles.  
  
Kuai Liang sighed against his mouth. "Keep doing that and I guarantee I will never stray far from you."  
  
That got him a chuckle. "It doesn't take much to please you, does it?"  
  
"Just you. You're all I want." A hand skimmed over Hanzo's chest, knuckle caressing along the cords of his neck, tangling fingers in his unbound hair. "Every day I'm amazed that I can touch you, that you allow me to. Sometimes it doesn't even seem real."  
  
Hanzo turned his head to kiss that hand, stepping in until he could feel the beat of Kuai Liang's heart echoing in his chest. "I feel the same way. I'm overwhelmed by your kindness, I scarcely know what to do with myself."  
  
That got him a smile that edged on self-depreciating. "Even when it means you have to make your own surprise breakfast in bed?"  
  
"Even then," he promised with another kiss. "You thought of me and that means so much. Nor would I complain about making breakfast in bed provided you're there with me."  
  
Their noses bumped together, pressed forehead to forehead and sharing the same sappy smile. "Any moment you want me, any time I can be, I will be with you. Again and always."  
  
That phrase curled its way around Hanzo's heart, just like it always did, and he had to duck his head against Kuai Liang's neck, wishing they could just stay like this. Eventually, though, he uncurled enough to drop his chin against the younger man's shoulder-  
  
-and saw the crowd of now-more-than-kitchen-staff around the door, including a couple hands with phones given out for missions. He glared at them, "If I see a single video or photo on the internet," he growled. Though his threat tapered off, they knew he would act on it and with a couple meeps (which pleased him) and some snickers (which didn't), the doorway cleared itself of snoopers. Hanzo sighed but didn't lift his head. "Sometimes I wish my clan were as mature as the Lin Kuei. Even the adults are such children."  
  
Kuai Liang chuckled, nuzzling Hanzo's hair. "I often wish they were more like the Shirai Ryu for the same reason. I'm actually jealous that your clan seems so much like a family."  
  
"I hope you're not questioning your clans love and devotion to you."  
  
That made Kuai Liang turn the nuzzle into him muffling a laugh. "Are you really defending my Lin Kuei from me? The depth of you compassion never ceases to amaze me!"  
  
"I will kick you out of breakfast in bed."  
  
"And just like that you cut to the quick."  
  
"Not deep enough if you're still so mouthy."  
  
"If I wasn't, you might get bored."  
  
Hanzo kissed him again, once more, just because he could. "I could never be bored with you." He stepped back, sliding his hand into Kuai Liang's and taking up a plate. "Now, I believe we have a bed to occupy and breakfast to eat?"  
  
Kuai Liang picked up the other, squeezing Hanzo's hand with a wide grin. "Anywhere you go, I will be with you."


	11. In Memory of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set not long after Whisper in the Dark. Hanzo and Kuai Liang talk about their pasts.

The Shirai Ryu's shrine was small, scarcely larger than a store room were it not for it's contents. Shelves lined the entire back wall and all but the top one and a half were occupied with spirit tablets of lost loved ones and though Hanzo hoped otherwise, he expected the empty space to fill as more joined the clan. Though it was already a week passed Obon, he could smell incense burning as he approached the room. That was not entirely unusual- the shrine was often where those overcome by grief, loss or general restlessness would go for peace of mind. Hanzo had overhead more than one of his Shirai Ryu speaking to the tablets late at night. But that was normal. This was... not.

He let the floorboards creak under his weight, quietly announcing his presence before he pulled aside the door, closing it behind him then he knelt on one of the cushion beside the only other living occupant in the room. His voice a soft rumble, Hanzo said neutrally, "This is an odd place for you to honor your ancestors."

Kuai Liang huffed in quiet amusement. "I suppose it would be were I honoring my ancestors at this moment."

The younger man had explained some years back, when they were still navigating a tentative relationship between friends and something more, that the Lin Kuei's previous grandmaster- the one he'd been raised under -had pushed all of the Lin Kuei's teachings and traditions to the extreme. Though the clan had always viewed joining as a sort of rebirth and their lives before no longer important, they had honored the Lin Kuei that had come before for shaping the clan into what it became. At least until the previous grandmaster came to power, deeming ancestral veneration of any kind as sentimental weakness and doing away with it entirely. Kuai Liang had gone through the old records after he ensured the last of the cyborgs had been dealt with and brought back many of the practices he'd never known existed, changing them in order to align with the new path he planned for the Lin Kuei.

"May I ask why you are here?" He knew what Kuai Liang was doing- the incense burning before the markers bearing Kana and Jubei's names just as evident as the offering between them -but the why eluded him.

"After so all these years and all that's happened I realized I had never come to honor your wife and child. I know the Zhongyuan Festival is done, but I thought it would not be too late to honor them." He hesitated for a moment, half turning to Hanzo. "Is that too presumptuous?"

Warmth blossomed in Hanzo's chest, unfathomably pleased by this for some reason. "I have mentioned you in my prayers to them more than once. I believe they would be glad to finally meet you."

The small smile that got in return was uncharacteristically shy. "I hope I meet expectations."

"I am happy and loved with you, I don't imagine they require anything else."

Kuai Liang looked up at him startled, still unused to Hanzo's declarations of love, before his face was brightened by such uncontained joy Hanzo had no choice but to reach over and lace their fingers together. Unable to keep the smile from his face, Kuai Liang turned back to the tablets. "You've spoken of Kana and Jubei often, but you rarely talk of yourself. What were you like when you were younger?"

He hummed slightly, "Rash. Hard headed. Over confident. Every trait I have now multiplied by all the experience I had yet to gain."

"Is that why you never liked Johnny Cage? Did you see too much of your younger self in him?" Kuai Liang teased, chuckling at the grumbling he got in return. He turned Hanzo's hand over so he could trace his thumb over the rough knuckles. "But if what you say is true, you must have also been incredibly passionate, loyal and sweet as well. Kana chose a good man to fall in love with." He lifted their hands and brushed a kiss over Hanzo's fingers.

The older man looked away, momentarily flustered. "And you? What were you like when you were younger?"

"Naive, mostly. I was always asking questions which amused some of the other Lin Kuei but mostly annoyed or angered them."

"I can't imagine that was a trait they encouraged."

"They didn't, but Bi Han did." His smile turned melancholy. "I was young when we were taken from our family- wouldn't have known if Bi Han hadn't told me -but he was old enough to remember what it was like to have a normal life and while he took to the Lin Kuei's teachings easily, he still held resentment toward them. So he told me to question everything I was being taught- why do we do this, why should these orders be followed -and he protected me from the worst of the punishment for it." Hanzo squeezed his hand silently. "He was not a good person, I know that. He arguably wasn't a good brother, encouraging me to act out of turn to satisfy a petty vengeance. But it helped to make me who I am and it helped me to survive. I am grateful for him." He tugged at Hanzo's hand lightly until the man looked at him. "And I am sorry for what he'd done to you."

But Hanzo just shook his head. "It is done and there is no changing it. Knowing what I do now, I believe the outcome of our encountered didn't matter to Quan Chi. He knew one of us would die and he would have our soul, it didn't matter to him which one it was." He sighed, deep and long. "I hadn't wanted to go on that mission. It was just before Jubei's first birthday and it felt like the most important thing in the world that I be there for it. I argued with the grandmaster, begged him to send someone else but I had been requested by name. There was little I could do but go. I checked the dates some years back. Even if I had not died, I wouldn't have made it back in time to save anyone. My loss was inevitable the moment I left."

"I'm sorry." A hand brushed against Hanzo's jaw, turning his head so Kuai Liang could press their foreheads together, his gaze deep with empathy. "I'm so sorry for what you've gone through."

"Your losses are no less important than mine and though I will always mourn them, Kana had often told me I had a large heart." He smiled, small but true, at Kuai Liang. "It is big enough to hold both lost loves and new ones."

Kuai Liang fitted his face against Hanzo's neck to hide how happy that made him but Hanzo could feel the flush against the skin there. "And I love you," the younger man said, quiet but he knew he'd be heard.

They stayed there like that for some time, content to simply be. Hanzo's gaze lingered tenderly on his family's tablets. You needn't worry about me, he thought, I love and am loved in equal measure. I hope that makes you as happy as it has made me.


	12. In Robes of Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title from Edgar Allan Poe's The Haunted Palace. Shortly after their relationship starts, Hanzo and Kuai Liang talk of nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk of death and depressing things. Also near if not outright purple prose because I've been reading some flowery books lately.

It was rarely odd for Kuai Liang to be awake and working at any hour- even the ones in that fuzzy line between night and day -due to difficulties sleeping. That did not, however, mean he was expecting anyone to be knocking on his door while the stars were still out in their multitudes. He paused in his work, leaning back to stretch briefly before saying, “Enter.”

“Grandmaster,” it was one of the guards, bowing deeply before him, “Apologies for the intrusion, but Master Hasashi’s been sitting on the veranda for some time. We normally wouldn’t bother you with this but I saw your light on and thought you’d want to know.” 

He very carefully kept a frown back. He was the only Lin Kuei familiar with the clan’s old ways and, refusing to implement the previous grandmaster’s rules of all relationships must remain professional, was happy to see open displays of friendship and romantic relationships between his clan members. It did not, however, stop his knee-jerk reaction to hear others bringing up his own relationship with Hanzo so openly. He wasn’t embarrassed by it, made no attempts to hide it, but having spent more than twenty years minding his behavior around those he considered friends, of having to sneak into secret places for sexual satisfaction- most of which he was uncertain who he was engaging with -a brief jolt of panic still occasionally struck through his chest.

“Thank you for telling me,” he placed his pen down, “I shall see to him momentarily.”

It was almost sad how- in the occasional time they decided to stay in the other’s compound in the little time since they decided to become more than friends -dealing with each other’s night terrors had become as routine as dealing with their own. Perhaps, Kuai Liang often thought, because their night terrors were very similar.

The air was crisp when he slipped outside, markedly warmer than it had been the week prior. Spring was coming, even nestled so far in the mountains. He passed along walkways faintly lighted by lamps until he reached the veranda where the high ranking guests stayed. The lights had been turned off but he could still make out Hanzo, a dark silhouette against the moonlit garden. Quietly, making just enough noise not to startle, Kuai Liang sat next to him, letting his legs dangle informally over the edge.

“Bad dream?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

Hanzo pulled the edges of his rob closed tighter like armor. “Yes.”

“Same one?”

“Yes.”

Hardly a surprise, Hanzo’s nightmares rarely seemed to deviate. “Who was it this time?”

He stayed quiet, just looking down at his hand as if it had betrayed him. “My clan. The one that died due to the Kamidogu.”

Kuai Liang had heard that one before, a memory played out different, where instead of being poisoned by a concoction he was possessed by the Kamidogu and killed all those he had sworn and failed to protect. Kuai Liang sometimes had one similar, a memory of fighting cyborg Lin Kuei only to realized, after he’d destroyed them all, they were still human underneath. He had never found words to make the nauseous roil ease before, either for himself or Hanzo, and he still hadn’t found them now. Just empty platitudes that made his tongue taste like ash every time he tried to speak them.

Hanzo’s eyes slid toward him, taking in his unrumpled clothing and unruffled hair. “I apologize for interrupting your work.”

“I was in need of a break,” he replied easily. “And I am always glad to spend time with you, even if the circumstances are not the best.”

That granted him a small, small smile in return. “I am glad for your company.”

They sat in silence for some time and an errant thought, one he’d had on occasions, came to Kuai Liang. He struggled silently for a way to ask it when Hanzo said, “Please, speak. I will not take offense.”

That was an easy enough thing to say, Kuai Liang doubted what was on his mind wouldn’t cause some emotional turmoil. But he cleared his throat and tilted his chin up. “The nights when you can’t bring yourself to look at me, what do you dream of?”

Hanzo turned his head away but Kuai Liang could see his jaw tighten, hands clenched in his lap. For a moment he thought he’d get no answer- no confirmation on what he suspected -but then he barely caught a soft, “You” before it was carried away by the night.

“Ah.”

He turned back, marginally, and asked, “And what do you dream when you hold yourself as if you’re afraid I’ll touch you?”

It was only fair, Kuai Liang couldn’t hold that against him. “You. Of that night in Japan. Often it starts as a memory, some times it’s a new battle but I die at the end. Even when I wake up before the final blow, I know that I die.” From the corner of his eye he sees Hanzo curling in on himself and it was cruel to continue but the memory of the nightmares was too vivid in his mind. They had been plaguing him off an on the last month and if he didn’t get them out now, Kuai Liang almost thought they’d rot him from the inside. “Your eyes are always pale and your voice is like that of a demon’s. Sometimes your intent is solely to kill me, other times to torture me. My cries go unheeded or I am unable to make a sound at all. Occasionally, as I draw my final breath, your eyes will change back and you speak in your normal voice, condemning me to the Netherrealm but the worst is when you turn normal again and you realize what you’ve done. You beg my forgiveness, you beg me not to die but I have no strength to speak and can only slip away with your anguish in my ears.”

Hanzo’s expression turned anguished, “I dream of that night sometimes as well, and just like your dreams, you die by my hands. Sometimes I dream of the final match with your brother, Quan Chi goading me into… into killing him. Your brother tries to talk sense to me, tries to claim his innocence but I kill him, just as I had in real life. And it isn’t until after, when I’m faced with what I’ve done, that I realize it’s you.

"But the worst,” he faced away again, fingers knotting together like he was tempted to break them, “are the ones when I’m trapped inside my own head. I’m screaming, begging myself to stop but I can’t control my body and I wake up afraid that it’s a premonition. I’m tired of losing control of myself. I’m tired of being manipulated and used. I don’t want to hurt those I care about. I never want to make that mistake again.”

He looked to Hanzo and even if the older man was turned away he knew the question burning inside of him. Why, when his trauma still haunt him so strongly, did he spend every spare moment he could with Hanzo? Why did he torture himself with the one that had nearly killed him?

“I trust you,” he said, so bluntly Hanzo turned to him in surprise. “More than anyone. No matter how my dreams twist themselves around, I trust you. That chapter of the past is done, we have moved on. I know that you will never hurt me, I know that you will never intend me harm. I believe this, heart and soul. You are no monster, no bomb waiting to go off. You are dear to me, and kind beyond measure. As terrible as these dreams are, I know they will not come to pass.”

Hanzo scoffed softly. “Your affection has made you foolish.” But at least the sharp edge of agony faded from his expression.

Kuai Liang floundered in his own head, wondering if he’d said too much, uncertain if he was allowed to comfort Hanzo with touch. He was uncertain about so much in their relationship- what was appropriate and what wasn’t, if he was supposed to take the lead or if Hanzo was, if anything he was doing at all was correct or normal or even wanted. He wanted this to work. It was so addictive to see Hanzo smile, to hear him laugh, to watch the heavy lines of stress and regret ease off of his face. He wanted to make Hanzo happy but so often he didn’t know how he was supposed to do that.

He lifted a hand, wanting to take Hanzo’s, to feel the rough skin of his knuckles as his thumb rubbed comforting circles over them but Kuai Liang hesitated in that middle distance. Would Hanzo appreciate being touched when he was still shaken from his nightmare? Did he like it at all when Kuai Liang took his hand? He imagined, briefly, touching Hanzo’s hand and the older man snatching it away. He imagined putting his hand in the space between them, a silent invitation to be taken, and Hanzo ignoring it. His courage and initiative left him and when he saw Hanzo’s eyes flicker to his still outstretched hand, Kuai Liang pulled it back, letting it rest on his own thigh.

Next to him, Hanzo gave a soft sigh, lifting his own hand to hook a loose strand of hair over his ear, push it back over his shoulder. His hand hesitated near the nape of his neck, eyes flickering again and Kuai Liang’s breath caught, readying himself to reach back if Hanzo reached for him. But his hand folded back with the other in his lap and they sat quietly, trying not to dwell on the faint tinge of disappointment.


	13. False Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> R, nsfw. Takes place before Milestone. Because not all attempts ended well.

The sound of the door opening caught his attention, looking up in time to catch Kuai Liang’s expression change from exasperated to eager. Apparently his day hadn’t been long enough for him not to light up at the sight of Hanzo reclined on his bed. The fact that he wore clothes and had a book didn’t dampen a thing. “I apologize. The meeting went on for far longer than it should have.”

“It’s no bother. It gave me a moment to peruse your library.” A sly grin pulled at Hanzo’s lips. “I knew you were a dragon enthusiast, but not to such extent.”

That got him an embarrassed laugh. Kuai Liang’s personal reading material seemed stuffed with any kind of book that had dragons on it. “They always fascinated me since I was a boy.”

“And the recent rumors of dragon sightings in Outworld rekindled your interest?”

He couldn’t keep the eagerness from his voice or expression, “Actually, when Frost was doing punishment detail in the Order of Light’s library, she found accounts of cryomancers using frost dragons as battle mounts.” 

“I suppose you’ll be mounting an expedition at some point. Just to verify the rumors, of course.”

Kuai Liang chuckled, sitting on the bed. “No plans have been made yet.” His hand skimmed over Hanzo’s leg, curling around his hip as he moved in close enough to breathe over Hanzo’s lips. “Right now, I have much more important things occupying my thoughts.” The kiss was powerful, deliberate and it made Hanzo moan, forgetting any ideas of marking his place before he let the book fall away so he could grab Kuai Liang’s back.

Recently the younger man had made it no secret that he’d like to make their relationship more physical. It was in the way he moved, a sensual predator locking on to his target, promising dark, intoxicating delights. His kisses had an intensity in them that made Hanzo all but melt against him, hands becoming more daring, anchoring Hanzo’s hips tightly against his own, stealing under clothes to caress bare skin. But no matter how intent he was he never pushed when Hanzo pulled away, never restarted what Hanzo stopped, just let things slow down to how they’d been, content to simply curl around the older man.

It wasn’t because Hanzo hadn’t wanted or enjoyed it- on the contrary, the memory of Kuai Liang trailing wet kisses down his neck, of large hands sweeping over his chest, a powerful thigh rocking against him haunted Hanzo at inopportune moments for days after -but he always seemed to think himself out of it. Something- a stray thought, an unintentional memory -always broke the moment for him, no matter how much he wanted it but he was determined. Not this time. Boldly he reached for Kuai Liang’s buckles, pulling that blue vest off.

He pulled back with a chuckle, low voice even huskier, rough and it made Hanzo shiver to hear it. “Eager tonight.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Not in the least,” Kuai Liang agreed just before swooping in for another fierce kiss. The intensity was overwhelming and Hanzo gripped his shoulders, needing an anchor to keep him grounded. It ignited his blood, pulling at Kuai Liang with needy hands and hot mouth.

Kuai Liang groaned, pressing in until Hanzo obligingly fell against the bed, chest to chest, instinct causing their bodies to roll against each other as hands found their way to clothing, clumsy with haste and want as each piece was undone and pulled off. As Kuai Liang finally worked through the knot on Hanzo’s robe- nearly coming close to just tearing it -hands against his chest pushed him slightly and he pulled back in an instant, worry in his expression, “Is something-”

“No,” Hanzo pushed at his hips, making Kuai Liang scoot further down a little, “I just want to look at you.”

Torn between embarrassed and amused, Kuai Liang sat back on his heels, hands resting on his thighs in order to show off the sturdy width of his chest. Hanzo licked his lips- just a flicker of the tip of his tongue -and Kuai Liang had to bite the inside of his cheek as even that caused his cock to twitch. They had bathed together many times before, stealing glances at each other like shy children, but it didn’t feel as deliberate as now, didn’t seem as real. Hanzo stared at him in a sort of wonder, his hand tracing slowly over the cryomancer’s hips- not as sturdy as his own but not exactly slender -and across scars. His knuckled brushed through the dark hairs on his chest, grazed a dusky nipple hidden there and traced over the strong wings of his clavicle and when Hanzo looked up, Kuai Liang’s expression made his breath catch, the intensity of the man’s gaze making his heart rush and blood sing, breath coming out a little quickly, sheets bunched in one hand with anticipation. It had been so long since anyone had looked at him like that, he’d forgotten what it felt like to be desired, to feeling sensual and the longing in Kuai Liang’s eyes, the passion and eagerness made him want to pin the younger man down and taste every inch of his body. 

Kuai Liang opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but whatever it was was forgotten as his palm skimmed over Hanzo’s hip, his stomach, his chest like he couldn’t believe this was happening. Like he was afraid he’d do something wrong and the moment would be lost forever. Hanzo took his hand, bringing it up so he could brush light kisses over his palm and knuckles and fingers before delicately taking Kuai Liang’s thumb between his lips and sucking on it, drawing a stuttered breath from the man above him. “Hanzo,” oh- his name sounded beautiful the way Kuai Liang breathed it out. Important, like some sacred prayer. When had his name ever sounded so amazing?

Kana. When she said it, he could move mountains. When she whispered it in his ear, the entire universe held its breath. And yet he could forget how special she was to him in every way because he found someone else to drown his loneliness in.

Soft, slow kisses over his chest made Hanzo suck in a breath, a large hand on side mapping the path of scars and muscle, making a gradual but deliberate trail downward. His heart pounded, the rhythm tripping up as the rush sweeping across him changed from the heat of arousal to the cold of panic. His breath caught, throat tightened and everything switched from ‘yes’ to 'this is wrong’.

No, he told himself, hand tightening against the back of Kuai Liang’s neck. This wasn’t wrong. Kuai Liang wasn’t a placeholder. He wasn’t someone to simply fill the emptiness. He wasn’t Kana but he was special- he made long forgotten emotions rise up, made simple moments worth remembering. He cared and Hanzo wasn’t going to let his head ruin this.

Kuai Liang pulled back, worry creasing his expression at the sudden tension under him. “Hanzo?” A hand cupped his cheek. “You’re trembling. Do you want to stop?”

No, dammit- he didn’t want to but he needed to. Shame made Hanzo squeeze his eyes shut, nodding quietly.

“Would you like me to hold you?”

He nodded again. Continuing felt like a betrayal to Kana’s memory but stopping felt like a betrayal to Kuai Liang and he needed the touch to affirm that he hadn’t pushed the younger man from him entirely. They settled in bed, Hanzo pressing his face against Kuai Liang’s neck, arm draped over the pale, broad chest. Kuai Liang turned his head just enough to kiss his long dark hair and took Hanzo’s hand in his own, holding it like he’d never let go. Hanzo’s eyes dropped to their hands and caught sight of the cryomancer’s half-erection. He bit his lip and hid his face, feeling a like a disappointment.

“Hanzo,” he felt the rumble in Kuai Liang’s throat before he heard the words, “it’s alright. Our relationship doesn’t depend on being physical. Being able to hold you like this is enough for me.” The arm under Hanzo stroked over his back, rubbing against his shoulders. “Just being with you, talking to you, being able to see you smile, that is enough for me.” He lifted their hands and kissed Hanzo’s knuckles, one by one. “I can wait until you’re ready. And if you are never ready, I will still be here.”

Tears prickled at Hanzo’s eyes and he shut them before they could fall. He wanted to thank Kuai Liang, wanted to apologize for failing him, wanted to promise he could be everything Kuai Liang wanted given time but he couldn’t do more than breath in his scent, letting it soak into his blood and calm his heart.

He fell asleep without realizing it and though they moved away from each other at some point in the night, he never let go of his hand.


	14. Shutterbug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because who doesn't want suggestive photos of their lover to keep them company in the long nights alone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of consensual voyeurism, masturbation, then porn.

He hadn’t come with the specific intent in mind but when he entered the Shirai Ryu compound and found Hanzo wearing one of Kuai Liang’s favorite pants of his- the material tight, catching the light in ways that emphasized the form it molded around -the cryomancer couldn’t help himself. He waited, patiently impatient, until the two of them had retreated to Hanzo’s room for the night before pulling the older man close, hand alternating between slipping back over his firm ass and sliding his thumbs down the crease of the thighs, close to his cock.

Arousal was already clear in Kuai Liang’s expression and Hanzo huffed in quiet amusement and feigned irritation. “Can I help you?” He asked, as if he couldn’t feel the beginnings of Kuai Liang’s erection against his thigh. 

He leaned in and kissed yielding lips, short and soft but with intent for much, much more. “May I take photos of you?” Hanzo didn’t have to ask what kind, the hands massaging his ass was indicative enough. The beginnings of a frown were about to work on his lips when Kuai Liang kissed him again. “I swear, no one but me shall see them.” A hand trailed down a thigh in a gentle caress, “For the long stretches when I can’t see you or touch you, I’ll have something to look upon-”

“As you masturbate?” Though Hanzo’s mouth was a thin line, there was no anger or disgust in his expression. But there was consideration, a hesitation as he weighed the possibilities in his mind. When his eyes darkened with decision, Kuai Liang couldn’t help breaking out into a wide grin. “They will not stay on your phone. When no one else is around, print them out and keep them where none but you will find them.”

He kissed Hanzo happily. “Of course,” he agreed without a moment’s pause. He moved back, taking his phone from a pocket and Hanzo stood there, uncertain what he should do. “Just go about your nightly routine.” Kuai Liang knew the process by heart, already considering possible angles for each step.

Dubious but unable to think of other options, the older man did as he was told. He went to his desk to check over the paperwork there as well as double checking his schedule. As he was about to move away a thought occurred to him and, before a sudden bought of shyness could stop him, Hanzo pulled off his shirt and the tie from his hair. He ran his hand through the dark fall across his shoulders, easing out the quiet tension that had been pulling at his scalp and flickered his eyes toward Kuai Liang. The younger man was focused on his phone but Hanzo caught him licking his lips and the soft sigh of desire. He smiled to himself, feeling more confident and gradually putting himself more on display.

He lit the various lamps in the room and turned off the electric lights so the soft, warm lights would cast intimate shadows across his skin. As he organized his things he bent over more than necessary, running his hand through his hair and drawing it to one side in a move that- for reasons he never quite understood -always made Kuai Liang stare at him in wonder. He washed his face and brushed his hair and teeth, the latter of which he made Kuai Liang put down the phone and join him- there was no way to make dental hygiene arousing. Then, when everything else had been done, Hanzo went to the bed. There was no reason to pull out his sleeping clothes so he unclasped his pants and angled his hips so the light caught over his skin, highlighting the dark hairs that disappeared from view. He ran his hand over waistband, first lightly across the top, then dipping the tips of his fingers below, watching Kuai Liang’s lips part as he did so. He would go no further than this and patiently waited until the clicking finally stopped.

“I believe,” a little smirk played on Hanzo’s lips where he half leaned against a bureau, “you’re to return the favor.”

Kuai Liang obediently passed the phone over, teeth flashing in the dancing firelight. “It would only be fair.” Then, once he was certain Hanzo was ready, Kuai Liang began to pull off his clothes almost like a strip tease, in slow, sinuous movements that made the older man bite the inside of his cheek. Once half naked, Kuai Liang ran a hand down his chest, his stomach, down to where his dick was straining against the confines of his pants, running his palm over the bulge and squeezing, briefly. Then he smoothed his hands over the waistband, popped the clasp and pushed his remaining clothing off completely.

Hanzo sucked in a breath, eyes widening- in retrospect he shouldn’t have been surprised. Kuai Liang had never been taught shame and evidently felt none when he slide into the bed, stretching out luxuriously before letting a hand drift down to stroke at his erection. His eyes were locked on Hanzo behind the phone, breath speeding up with each long, slow pull of his cock. He brought his other hand up to lick the palm, letting that run over his length as the first dropped down to play with his balls. He spread out his legs, thighs flexing, toes twitching as his pace sped up, pre-cum beginning to leak from the head. He couldn’t hold his groans back anymore, hips pulsing upward, back arching as sensation started crackling along his nerves.

The clicking stopped and Kuai Liang moaned obscenely, “Hanzo. Hanzo, please.” His breath caught in his throat, hand moving desperately. “I need you, I want you so badly. Gods please- anything, anything you want, just touch me.”

It was only in the periphery of his senses that he saw Hanzo, very carefully, putting the camera upright on the bureau and as he watched the ninja strip himself of his clothing, Kuai Liang whimpered with need. Then the bed dipped with weight and Hanzo was crawling up his legs and pre-cum was leaking even faster as his hips lifted helplessly. Hanzo brushed his hair to one side and grabbed the hand on Kuai Liang’s dick, delicately sucking the pre-cum off his fingers. Then he ducked his head and slid his mouth over the younger man’s cock like he’d been wanting to for the last ten minutes. There was no teasing, no slow, gradual build-up, just Hanzo taking him in as far as he could with each bob until he could work the entire length in his throat. One hand held Kuai Liang’s hips to the bed, the other palmed his balls, fingernails running lightly at the sensitive skin behind, rubbing his thumb against the bundle of nerves before sliding back up to roll and tug at his balls again.

And all the while Kuai Liang moaned and whimpered through bitten lips, gasped for air, let loose a broken stream of pleading Mandarin. A hand tangled through long black hair, not quite pulling and he bit a groan, loud and desperate, in the middle just before he came against Hanzo’s tongue. Kuai Liang lay, boneless and stunned, as Hanzo sat up, hand stripping at his painfully hard cock, mesmerized at the languid cryomancer below him. Then, managing to gather his senses again, Kuai Liang smiled at him, lethargic and beautiful, lifting a hand to stroke Hanzo’s cheek. He grabbed it blindly, lacing their fingers together, pressing sloppy kisses to the palm and when Kuai Liang breathed out his name, Hanzo came shuddering.

It took some time before Hanzo felt compelled enough to move from Kuai Liang’s chest where he’d all but collapsed. They exchanged soft smiles and a softer kiss before Hanzo pushed himself from the bed, intent on wetting a cloth the clean them both. Kuai Liang sighed contently, eyes closing and he settled into the sheets. Hanzo watched him, fond and yearning. Then he picked up the phone letting the camera linger over Kuai Liang’s dozing, naked form before he stopped the recording and sent himself a copy of the video. couldn't feel the beginnings of Kuai Liang's erection against his thigh.


	15. Under My Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best way to deal with assassins is to use better ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some violence and death. To those that wanted some action-y type stuff, sorry, this is the best you get.

Someone was attacking Special Forces. Someone, from descriptions from those that could give them, who seemed to be Shirai Ryu or Lin Kuei.

"You're not here because I'm accusing you or your people," Sonya told the two grandmasters before her. "I asked you here because I figure the best way to hunt a couple of assassins is with better ones."

There were two and they weren't human, that much Kenshi could confirm before they badly wounded him and escaped. "I believe they're shapeshifters," he'd been well enough to sit in on the briefing. "Sento couldn't give me a consistent description. They prefer to ambush isolated individuals."

They'd been tracked to an old industrial complex and, with Takeda's telepathic scan, were able to narrow down which part they'd be in. He couldn't pin point them exactly however, the heavy metal interior making his abilities unreliable.

"Master," his hands flexed at his sides, eyes hard, "let me help you, please."

"No." Hanzo's voice allowed no room for argument but his expression was gentle. He understood the anger Takeda felt at his father being hurt. "If these are indeed shapeshifters then the more people we bring, the more opportunity it gives them. We need you to remain here scanning for them in case they try to escape. If they do, contact us immediately."

Takeda's mouth pressed into a thin line, shoulders tight, but he nodded. "Yes, Master."

Confident the young man would obey his command, Hanzo went to where Kuai Liang was doing final checks on his gear. They double-checked their radio frequencies and search pattern and confirmed the security phrase they'd use if they were uncertain if the other was real. Then, just as they were about to head in, Kuai Liang grabbed Hanzo's hand. "Be careful."

He squeezed back, "You too."

They separated, entering from opposite sides and moments after stepping in, Hanzo's radio made an awful squeal, fluctuating in a garbled almost speech pattern. It seemed all the exposed metal that was interfering with Takeda's powers did no favors for radio waves. Mostly certain it was Kuai Liang initiating the check in as they'd discussed, Hanzo answered back. He doubted his response was any more intelligible but at least Kuai Liang got some sort of reply.

The interior was dark, electricity long since drained from the place. The only light was from the overcast morning filtering through grimy windows set up high, causing the halls to dim and lighten in diffused gradient. He moved silently along one of many catwalks in the open factory, barely slowed by the darkness and stagnant air- he'd trained in far harsher conditions -and the only thing that stirred as he moved was dust.

It was empty. Too empty. He found traces of wildlife- droppings, an empty nest, a cache of nuts but he saw and heard nothing else. Something must have scared the animals out and when he saw tracks in the dust, not quite human but unlike any animal he could think of, he knew they were on the right path.

The first level resulted in nothing and Hanzo took a set of stairs up, following the tracks. He'd only been there a few minutes when he heard footsteps- quiet, but not silent. He paused but they still approached, steady, unhurried, not yet sounding like someone about to engage in combat. Hanzo listened carefully, pinpointing the direction they came from and shifted to meet the oncomer, hands up, ready to move offensively or defensively in an instant. A silhouette formed in the darkness and as it approached, features becoming distinguishable in the gloom, Hanzo tensed.

"Scorpion," Kuai Liang greeted curtly. Or the thing using Kuai Liang's form.

"You've finished your search already?" He asked suspiciously.

"The lower levels are in extreme disrepair. Many sections are inaccessible, I thought it best to regroup and plan." He eyed Hanzo warily. "You seem rather distrusting."

"And you are not distrusting enough."

Kuai Liang grunted, "I have observed you as I followed. I doubt these creatures would be as methodical as you." When he received no response, Kuai Liang's eyes narrowed, "What is it?"

Were it years earlier it might have fooled Hanzo but he knew the cryomancer in ways he'd never imagined were possible. He knew his speech and mannerisms so well it occasionally haunted his dreams for better and worse. This wasn't him. A decent facsimile but only for those that were familiar with the cold stoicism he used in public. But even in public there was a playfulness in his words, a fondness in his gaze whenever he looked at Hanzo.

Pointedly, Hanzo lifted his radio and said into it, "Sub-Zero, come in."

There was no echo from the other man's radio, no squeal of interference and when Hanzo's radio crackled in response, the imposter's face twisted darkly. "Oh, aren't you clever," it hissed in Kuai Liang's low voice. The mask suddenly split apart like a discolored almost reptilian jaw, a dark glob shooting from its throat. Hanzo thought of Reptile in an instant, dropping the radio just before the glob hit it. The casing was melted through before it hit the ground.

He thrust his arm forward, rope dart flying out but the imposter moved like a lash under it, hands shifting into long claws. Hanzo blocked the swipe, the thick leather of his arm guard defend against the blow but the claws were sharp enough to tear into the material. Deciding defense was too dangerous a risk, Hanzo dropped it altogether and went on full out attack. The sudden ferocity made the creature hiss, Kuai Liang's mask splitting again to reveal dozens if pinprick teeth.

It was quick, Hanzo would give it that, but little else. It moved fast enough he could do no more than clip it but it couldn't find the space to fight back, to use Hanzo's aggression against him. That it fought so poorly while wearing Kuai Liang's form made him seethe, fire sparking in his fists. An overhead strike broke its guard, lightning quick kick in the unprotected belly forcing out air and making it stumble back against a rail.

Kuai Liang gasped, holding himself in pain, and Hanzo's flame sputtered out.

It lunged forward, claw glancing off Hanzo's vest as he leapt back. Under the mask, Kuai Liang's face twisted in a cruel smirk. "Lose your fire, human? Or maybe you're not the real Scorpion."

"You ask as you wear another's form. Drop your disguise, imposter!"

"Why, don't feel like killing your mortal enemy? Or maybe the rumors are true!" The creature cackled deep in its throat like a rumble, "The mighty Scorpion taking his rival for a mate!"

"Do not act as if you know me, beast!"

"Oh, I know much, much more than you think I do," the mask split into a smile with too many teeth. "Do you think the other realms would be dumb enough to leave you unchecked? Quan Chi's pet? No, you're far too dangerous for the rest of us to ignore. I'm sure your so called Earthrealm allies feel the same- why else would they bother with someone as unstable as you?" It lunged but Hanzo dropped to the ground, leg sweeping out to knock the imposter's out from under it. His hands ignited again- the creature had miscalculated. Hanzo had lived with anger for years. It no longer made him reckless, it made him ruthless.

As the thing struggled to reorient itself, Hanzo slammed its chest with an open palmed strike, driving it back to the ground. He stood as it gasped and brought his heel down on a scaled wrist, the loud crack of bones drowned out by its inhuman roar of pain.

He straddled its chest on his knees, rearing back, fire in his fist and suddenly Kuai Liang was staring up at him, eyes wide, desperate, voice cracking and panicked, "Hanzo, please! Don't!"

Horror stilled his hand for one crucial moment, enough for sharp claws to bury into his thigh. The angle was bad, unable to strike deeply but the pain off balanced him, allowing the shapeshifter to topple him, pinning him down with its weight on his wound. It cackled merrily at his helplessness, still wearing Kuai Liang's face. "So long, lover boy."

Hanzo felt a wash of cold an instant before ice engulfed the creature head to shoulders. He grabbed it by the vest and, heaving the still body to the ground, dashed the ice into countless pieces. It slowly shifted into its original form, fluids leaking from the jagged ruins of its torso.

Heavy boots trudged soundlessly to the body, toeing it suspiciously. Satisfied it was dead, Kuai Liang growled, "I will not allow anyone to use me ever again. That includes my form." When his attention shifted to Hanzo, so too did his demeanor change from anger to concern. He dropped to his knees at Hanzo's side, hands out as if he wanted to touch the wound, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. The damage is not lasting."

"You'll need stitches at least."

"No." He put a hand to the wound. "You may not want to watch." His palm glowed and Kuai Liang realized with a start what he was doing, turning his head away. Hanzo hissed between clenched teeth- even his body wasn't entirely immune to his own flame if he concentrated enough.

"I hope you don't do that often," Kuai Liang chided lightly- or attempted to. The cauterizing itself hadn't bothered him but the scent of burning flesh made him queasy. He helped Hanzo to his feet, "Are you certain you're well?"

"Yes. If it will ease your mind, I will have the medics check me over when we return."

That did ease his mind somewhat at least until Hanzo went to check on the body. Kuai Liang was close enough to hear the soft hiss, noticed the slight limp. He may have closed the wound but Hanzo no longer had his supernatural healing ability, nor was he immune to pain. Dread began coiling in the pit of the cryomancer's stomach and he said, "We shouldn't leave the body unattended. The other one may attempt to leave with it."

Hanzo glared at him, "I'm aware of what you're attempting."

He shifted a little guiltily, then moved next to Hanzo, voice lowering to remain between the two of them, "Please, Hanzo. Stay here." He could feel biting words rising up in the older man and impulsively Kuai Liang grabbed his hand. Hanzo stilled. Kuai Liang laced their fingers and his heart tripped embarrassingly at how perfectly they fit together. "I... I am not yet strong enough to remain focused while knowing you are moving about injured. If you remain here, I will always know where you are and will be able to return to your side in an instant."

"Do you not trust me?"

"I'm at fault, not you." Then Hanzo's tone hit him- something almost small, something verging on afraid. He cupped the side of Hanzo's mask, tilting his head up until the older man looked at him. "I trust you. More than anything. Whatever that creature told you was a lie. I know that you would never hurt me."

Hanzo's eyes slid shut and for a moment he leaned into Kuai Liang's palm. Then he moved back and his eyes were steady as he said, "Very well. I will remain here."

The cryomancer smiled at him, "Thank you."

He lingered for a moment and though he knew Hanzo would stay back, worry still curdled in his mind. Kuai Liang had rushed to the sound of fighting- the other creature must have heard it, too, had likely been watching them, making him even less inclined to leave. But... Kuai Liang trusted him. Even injured the ninja was formidable and he had no doubts that he'd be able to hear any other battles as easily as the first, ready to move at a moment's notice.

He moved upstairs, the lower level yielding no signs that anything bigger than rats had recently been there. It didn't take long before he felt the weight of someone's eyes on him. Kuai Liang halted, weight carefully shifting as he turned to locate his observer. A misshapen lump was clinging to the underside of a catwalk above him, dozens of feet away, shadows and distance obscuring its species but Kuai Liang could see the gleam of pinprick teeth and hateful eyes. He took up a defensive stance, trying to gauge if the creature was within his range, "Surrender yourself. There is no need for further violence."

"As stupid as my mate could be," it spat, claws scratching at the catwalk's grated flooring, "you've got to be even dumber if you think I'm just going to give up because you asked politely." It growled, a low rumble that vibrated the very air. "You killed my mate so I'm going to kill yours."

It dropped, plummeting down two flights and twisting about in the last moment, landing on all fours like a cat and taking off after a mere second. Kuai Liang reached for his radio before remembering the smoldering remains of Hanzo's. He cursed, backed up the scant few feet he could and leapt, using the rail to catapult him further. He hit the same deck the creature had landed on, rolling with the impact and running the moment he was back on his feet. The thing had already disappeared around a bend.

Panic filled him briefly, bright and painful, and before he could stop himself Kuai Liang cried out as he ran, "Hanzo!" He nearly ran into the man as he reached that same bend.

They jumped back from each other, both dropping into a fighting stance and Kuai Liang noticed the older man favoring a leg. "What are you doing here?"

Hanzo dropped his chin and his voice in a way he did when he found someone being particularly obtuse, "You called my name."

He tried to think how fast someone with an injured leg could move from where he'd left Hanzo to here but realized he wasn't entirely certain what that distance was. "Did you not come across that creature?"

"No." His guard tightened, silently communicated 'which leads me to believe you're the creature until proven otherwise'. Which Kuai Liang didn't begrudge him for- he was thinking the same thing. They stood, silently facing each other, for a long, tense moment, neither giving any indication of letting their guard down.

Kuai Liang counted the seconds in the back of his mind, suspicion growing with each additional number. "Why should I trust you are who you say?"

Hanzo scoffed, "I grow more convinced you are the imposter. The real Kuai Liang knows I would never harm him."

There was no hesitation, just Kuai Liang thrusting his hands forward, encasing the imposter in ice. It hadn't had time to react, frozen in a wary stance. He gazed at the figure, saddened both at seeing Hanzo- fake or not -trapped by his own hand and because he knew the one Hanzo trusted least was himself.

Ensuring the ice would hold, he moved quickly to where he left Hanzo, still one level below. Upon his approach, the ninja took a defensive stance and Kuai Liang couldn't help but find the moment oddly endearing. As Hanzo's posture softened, Kuai Liang realized he must have been smiling. Still wary, Hanzo asked outright, "Prove yourself." He must have been as annoyed of the entire situation as the cryomance had gotten.

So he said their previously agreed upon phrase, a simple Thai sentence Takeda had helped them learn, "I am real".

"You found the other creature?"

"Did you hear us?"

"Yes. But I had been asked to stay here," the sarcasm in the sentence was just shy of biting but dropped when Hanzo asked, "You are unhurt?"

"I am. I've frozen the creature. It's not far from here."

Having heard they were no longer under threat, Hanzo's guard dropped entirely, favoring one leg more obviously, letting the pain crease his expression. Kuai Liang wanted to go to him and... he wasn't certain what, he wasn't capable of numbing the injury, his ice never stuck to Hanzo for long.

"Will you be alright until we return?"

"Yes." He gripped at his thigh, massaging the area just above the mended wound. Hanzo's grin was small and bitter around the edges beneath his mask. "Age must be getting to me. Something like this wouldn't have slowed me not so long ago." Without waiting for a reply, Hanzo pushed himself from the rail he had leaned against, going over the fallen body and hefted it onto a shoulder, grunting at the additional weight on his injured leg. It had been cauterized to keep from dripping on him when he carried it out though the smell of blood and burnt flesh was still fresh.

An idea struck Kuai Liang, "Come here," he said, holding out an arm. At Hanzo's confused look, the younger man blasted a short stream of ice at the ground beneath his own feet, just enough to lift him a few inches. "It will be easier and quicker this way."

For a moment it looked like Hanzo would argue but it passed and he went over, allowing Kuai Liang to wrap an arm around the older man's waist, securing him, hip to hip, chest to chest and Kuai Liang quietly lamented the closeness wasn't under better conditions. "Ready?" The hand that laid against his back in response wasn't necessary but Kuai Liang was glad for it all the same.

At Hanzo's nod, Kuai Liang faced his palm to the floor and blasted it with ice, the column lifting them to the floor above. They trekked to the frozen form, Kuai Liang laying a strip of ice to push the trapped shapeshifter over as Hanzo carried the body ahead until they reached the stairs closest to the exit. The stairs themselves was a bit of an obstacle, not wanting to risk breaking their captive. Thankfully Takeda was able to pick them up in his scans and with his help they got it safely out of the building. After Kuai Liang assured him he could handle things himself, Takeda moved to his master's side to help take some of the weight. The fact that Hanzo agreed without argument was testament to the fact he'd overstrained his wound.

The way to the Special Forces chopper was uneventful. Takeda assured the two masters that he and the co-pilot would handle securing the creatures and, after reinforcing the ice on the live one, Kuai Liang joined Hanzo at the seats.

The older man's head was leaned back, eyes closed and Kuai Liang took a moment to admired the brush of his lashes against his cheeks, at the curves of his neck, the way his chest moved as he breathed. Then Hanzo's eyes opened, looking straight at the cryomancer. "I will not always agree to stay behind when I am injured."

"I know," Kuai Liang agreed softly. He had known it was a foolish, almost insulting request even when he made it. "I will do my best not to ask unless I feel the circumstances are that dire."

"Even then I cannot promise I won't go."

"I know." Because he couldn't make that promise either. He sat beside Hanzo and neither spoke. They both wanted to- they could feel it like a charge in the air -but were unable to think of anything to say. Kuai Liang put his hand between them, so close he could feel the heat coming off of Hanzo. He thought about taking Hanzo's hand, about the slide of skin and calloused fingers, of being able to feel Hanzo's heart beating through his palm.

The door to the storage compartment gave a telltale hiss before it opened, letting Takeda and the co-pilot out. Kuai Liang's hands were in his lap, loosely folded together. The co-pilot moved to the cockpit, calling ahead to let his partner know she could start the engines. Takeda paused before the two older men, looking between them as if knowing there was something they couldn't quite figure out how to talk about. The pilot called for everyone to strap in. Takeda said, "I'll be up front, reporting in to the General."

Hanzo made a dismissive gesture and the two were left alone again. The helicopter vibrated loudly and, with a short jolt, lifted off. The higher they went, the quieter the engines seemed to get. The minutes trickled by and something almost akin to anxiety was beginning to fill Hanzo's lungs. It wouldn't take them long to return to the base and when they did he felt that this moment, his chance to say whatever it was he needed to say, would be gone.

In the corner of his eye he saw Kuai Liang's head tilt toward him, "Is something wrong?"

He wasn't certain how to answer, expression tight as he combed through words, trying to pin them together until the combination felt correct.

Their shoulders brushed together, Kuai Liang's skin cool against his. "Hanzo?"

"Why are you so kind to me?" He blurted out. He was certain that was not the sentence he was looking for.

"Should I not be?" Hanzo nearly growled were it not for the line in Kuai Liang's brow showing genuine confusion.

"You're always so kind and patient with me, even when you shouldn't."

"If I wish to be kind to you, isn't that my decision to make?" The confusion solidified into something dangerously close to fear. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No," Hanzo said quickly, turning away and cupping a hand to his forehead, trying to straighten his thoughts. Another silence fell between them, this one fragile. Eventually, with a sigh and letting his hand fall back to the seat, Hanzo said softly, nearly drowned out by the engines, "I don't know what I'm doing."

The tension in Kuai Liang's shoulders eased, voice just as soft, "Nor do I. I don't know what will happen, but I'm certain all the doubt and confusion will be worth it."

"How can you be certain?"

"Because," Kuai Liang said simply, "I trust you."

A lump knotted at his throat and Hanzo wondered how someone could be so unwaveringly good and wondered how was it possible he could have such an unwaveringly good person in his life. He settled in the seat, trying to piece his trembling confidence together. He remembered his own words, wanting to be worthy of Kuai Liang's belief and he did, truly and deeply still did.

After a time Hanzo held out his hand, palm up, in the space between them. His gaze remained resolutely ahead, fingers curled as if he expected Kuai Liang to ignore it but, without a moment's hesitation, Kuai Liang slide his hand in, weaving their fingers together and the sharp line of Hanzo's spine eased out by increments.

It may not have been much for others, in terms of comfort or reassurance, but for them it was more than enough.


	16. The Little Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not long after Under My Skin. Every new step may be slow to be taken, but each one is worth it.

The visit had been as normal as any other- after the norm shifted since their change in relationship anyway. The Shirai Ryu guards greeted Kuai Liang with respectful bows as one went ahead to announce his arrival to their master. Hanzo welcomed him with a warm smile and they walked the compound. They spoke of updates and issues, being a vehicle for the other's complaints and worries or giving them a chance to gush with pride if needed.

Throughout their talk, however, Hanzo was oddly reserved. Not the reserved he'd been when they first became allies or friends or- and the word still fit strangely even in Kuai Liang's head -boyfriends. He was as open and warm as he always was but there was a hesitance in Hanzo, something he wanted to say but wasn't certain how to or if he even should. So often whatever it was seemed to form on his tongue only for him to bite it back at the last moment until Kuai Liang finally said, "Please, speak your mind."

Put on the spot, standing out near the gardens cultivated from determination, Hanzo visibly struggled with himself. Kuai Liang waited patiently. He'd long ago learned to tell which people would respond well to being pressured out of their comfort zones and Hanzo was definitely not one of them. Eventually, lips twisting as he forced out the words, Hanzo said, "I did not get a chance to properly thank you."

"For my help in the mission?" That had been weeks ago and he didn't recalled doing anything worth thanking. "You're welcome though I'm uncertain as to why. For shelping you, do you mean?"

"No- yes, but I wasn't specifically meaning that." Kuai Liang wasn't certain if it was a trick of the light or if Hanzo actually was slowly turning red. "I meant after. As we were returning." Kuai Liang just looked at him in confusion. "When you... held my hand." His voice got smaller and smaller until it was basically a defiant mumble. "It was comforting."

"You like when I hold your hand?"

"It is a rare occurrence."

"Do you want it to happen more often?"

The question startled Hanzo enough lock their gaze together, eyes no longer shifting around uncomfortably. "What?"

"If you would like me to touch you more often," it was difficult to keep his voice level, Kuai Liang's heart pounding like the first time they kissed- it was such a foolish thing to get worked up over but it made him stupidly giddy, "please say so."

"I..." Hanzo couldn't hold his gaze, "I did not want to ask too much of you."

"What have you asked of me? What hardships would you imagine I'd experience from taking your hand? If I told you I found comfort in holding it- holding you -would you think of it as an imposition? If I told you even when you brush against my arm it thrills me in ways I'd never experienced before, would you find me too demanding? Because I do." His voice softened, hand skimming the air just above Hanzo's arm before he had the courage to lay it over the thick bicep, down his forearm, fingers hooking around his wrist until they cradled palm to palm. "I spend more time than I'd like to admit thinking about touching you, or you touching me. Just like this. Whenever you're next to me I want to reach out to you and hold you and... and I was afraid to say anything." He lowered his head just enough so he couldn't see Hanzo's expression. "I've never had anything like this. I've never had anything to compare it to. Sometimes, when I look at you, I get a surge of emotion so powerful that I don't know how to express it and I'm afraid of scaring you off. I don't know if I'm doing any of this right, I just... I want to make you happy."

A hand coming up near his face startled him but it tilted his chin up, Hanzo's lips suddenly pressed against his, beautiful and perfect. Kuai Liang made a soft noise he probably would've been embarrassed about if he was aware of it but it made Hanzo fairly purr, arm snaking around his back to pull him in closer and Kuai Liang buried his fingers against Hanzo's vest as if afraid they'd drift apart. Their mouths opened and heat seared through the younger man's body, making him feel like he was burning alive in the greatest possible ways.

Need sparked low in his belly, drowning out awareness of where they were or who might be around. He wanted to get closer, he wanted more but when Hanzo pulled back he gripped the thick leather to keep from following after. He licked his lips, willing his knees not to buckle. Hanzo's mouth curved into a sweet little grin. The kind that made Kuai Liang's heart skip a beat. He didn't think he'd ever get over that.

"Nor I."

Kuai Liang blinked. Had he said that out loud?

Hanzo's grin grew. "Yes."

Heat flushed over Kuai Liang's cheeks and he ducked his head, resting it against Hanzo's shoulder. "You're hazardous to my mental ability." But his arms moved all the same, mirroring the hold Hanzo had around his waist.

Then, to the surprise of both of them, Hanzo blurted out, "Would you stay with me tonight?"

Kuai Liang lifted his head, confused. "Did you not expect me to?

"I don't mean in guest quarters, I mean in mine. My bed. With me. I," already his courage was faltering, but Hanzo admitted, "miss being held."

Any attempts to speak was impossible, the very idea of holding the ninja all night shorting out Kuai Liang's brain and though his mouth moved, no sound came out.

"Kuai Liang?"

" _Yes_ \- I mean- I- yes, please?"

Hanzo's chuckle was dark and warm and Kuai Liang took his face in his hands and kissed him because he could and he very desperately wanted to. He felt the curve of Hanzo's smile against his lips and that made him smile in return. When he pulled back, however, Hanzo's expression was sober. "If I wake you during the night, I apologize."

He meant about his night terrors and though Kuai Liang smiled comfortingly, his own expression was solemn. "As do I if I should do the same to you." Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, having that touch he'd secretly craved to soothe him afterward. Depending, of course, on exactly which memory chose to haunt him. But, choosing between an empty bed and one shared with Hanzo, it would be worth it. He kissed the older man just below the eye. "I look forward to tonight."


	17. Kids Say the Darndest Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after The Little Things. A shovel talk of sorts.

It was voices that woke Kuai Liang, whispers that hadn't yet learned to actually be quiet. He peered, still blurry with sleep, and found three and a half pairs of eyes staring back at him, just barely peeking up from the edge of the bed. "Hello?" He asked semi-coherently.  
  
"'llo," said the one with the patch over their eye. It was hard to discern the gender of children when all he could see were round eyes and unruly hair with only a half-syllable to go with it.  
  
Another one- who Kuai Liang quickly realized was the ringleader of the group -elbowed the first just out of sight before turning their attention to him and asking pointedly, "What are you doing?"  
  
Kuai Liang, who did not appreciate waking up to accusatory tones, nearly said, "Being interrogated." But he bit it back and replied, "Sleeping."  
  
"Why are you sleeping with Master Hanzo?"  
  
He looked over his shoulder at the man in question. They had separated some time in the night, hugging opposite edges of the bed. He marveled at Hanzo's apparent ability to sleep through the discussion. Turning back to the children he said, "He asked me to."  
  
"Did you marry Master Hanzo?" The ringleader obviously did not have very good control over the troops. "My mom and dad say only married adults sleep together."  
  
"...no?"  
  
"Are you gonna marry him?"  
  
Kuai Liang had never had much exposure to children before but now he understood why he'd heard so many people felt uncertain around them. "Uh-"  
  
"Can boys marry other boys?" Another child asked suddenly.  
  
"Mike 'n Teddy're married," said the fourth, "and Master Hanzo can do whatever he wants!"  
  
"You can only marry people that make you happy, duh." The ringleader said firmly, trying to get the conversation back on track. She- Kuai Liang was only marginally sure of this, they all sounded too androgynous for him to be certain -pinned the grandmaster with a fairly decent version of a piercing glare. "Do you make Master Hanzo happy?"  
  
The other children stared expectantly. Kuai Liang felt shockingly unnerved by them.  
  
He looked over at Hanzo again, only able to see the sturdy curve of his back and hair spanning over his pillow. He thought about last night, the initial awkwardness as they tried to figure out how to lay together comfortably. He thought about finally asking to play with Hanzo's hair, how it felt running through his fingers and Hanzo's huff of amusement when Kuai Liang admitted he'd been thinking about it for months. He thought of Hanzo's breath against his skin and how they talked- nothing important, just talking -until Hanzo's words stretched out and softened before he fell asleep pressed against Kuai Liang's side.  
  
He realized, very acutely, that he was in love with the man. He'd suspected for some time, of course, had felt the idea of it singing in his blood, but this was the first time he was consciously aware of it.  
  
"I want to," he told the children, truth vibrating out from the depths of his bones, "very much so."  
  
"Kids!" A new voice hissed, older and already harried so early in the morning. "What have I told you about sneaking into Master-" a fairly young man, likely not much younger than Takeda, took one step into the room and rocked to a halt. "G-Grandmaster! I- whu-" the young man turned bright red and averted his eyes, grabbing the backs of the childrens' shirts and tugging them to the door. The ringleader made a gesture vaguely resembling an 'I'm watching you' threat. "I'm so sorry, please forget we were here!"  
  
Kuai Liang blinked at the suddenly vacant room. He looked down at himself, wondering if he'd overlooked something embarrassing but no. He was properly covered, no humiliating untimely body functions, just the blanket being perhaps scandalously low across his hips. But not, he realized with a start, low enough to prove that he wasn't actually nude.  
  
"We're wearing pants!" He called out, somewhat weakly and definitely too late. He sank into his pillow, throwing an arm over his eyes. Hanzo was going to kill him.  
  
Said man threw his own arm across Kuai Liants chest, finally awake or at least barely. "Why are you yelling?" He murmured discontentedly, burying his face against the cryomancer's shoulder.  
  
"Some children came visiting."  
  
The lethargic hum was almost ticklish. "They do that sometimes when it's cold."  
  
"Then someone else came in and collected them."  
  
Again a hum, this one sounding on the verge of sleep.  
  
"I'm certain he thinks we're sleeping together. In more than the literal sense."  
  
One last hum. Then a shockingly awake, " _What_?" and a hand in his gut as Hanzo all but fell out of bed. He pulled on the first robe he grabbed and raced out the door.  
  
Kuai Liang lay there, catching his breath and absently wondered if Hanzo was aware that he was wearing the robe his people generally saw Kuai Liang wearing. He supposed it wasn't worth worrying over. The Shirai Ryu loved their master, after all, and seemed genuinely supportive of their relationship. So he slide into the space Hanzo had previously occupied, warm and still smelling of him, and drifted into a light doze.


	18. Which won't be Spoken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not long after Milestone. Even still there are fears they can't tell each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of sex so not entirely sfw

Hanzo pushes Kuai Liang's hands up by the pillow and they wrap around the case automatically, obediently. "Keep them there," he growls low against the cryomancer's parted, panting lips, "don't move them from that spot."

He knows that Kuai Liang will do as he's told, that he's bound himself to Hanzo's words and sometimes, even in the middle of sex, that strikes Hanzo in ways that make him hesitate. Because he knows that if he got up and left, Kuai Liang will stay there, hands in place, simply because Hanzo told him to. He won't move, won't complain, will wait patiently for Hanzo to return.

This isn't something new, Kuai Liang has always done what he's been told, has always followed Hanzo's lead in the relationship because Hanzo is the only one of them that has actual experience in such things. Nor is it something that Hanzo ever really forgets. But sometimes, looking down at Kuai Liang so vulnerable and trusting, eager to do whatever he's told, it strikes something raw inside of Hanzo, makes something inside twist.

Because he can whisper in Kuai Liang's ear, "Don't make a sound," and then do his best to get the younger man to disobey, to watch him struggle to do as he's told and it has so much potential to be the worst kind of power trip. Because Kuai Liang has never argued about how slow or in what directions Hanzo takes their relationship, just blindly trusts him and some tiny, ugly part of him gets the wrong kind of thrill from it, from having his former rival so utterly in his control.

Some nights, when the guilt of possibilities weighs especially heavy in him, Hanzo will lean over Kuai Liang, sated, sleeping and unable to hear as Hanzo confesses, "Sometimes I'm afraid of you." And he stays awake, running his hands lightly over Kuai Liang's body like it's the last time he'll be able to and thinks about how much he doesn't want to abuse his trust.

~*~*~*~

Kuai Liang doesn't often feel inadequate due to his strict upbringing but it's happened more and more since his relationship with Hanzo changed. The few dates they've been on have all been instigated by the older man, each seemingly designed to make Kuai Liang reach new heights of affection. And it feels like the only thing he can give in return is sex. Great sex, from what he can tell, but it doesn't mean as much as getting a random, thoughtful gift in the middle of the week or waking up to a text message that says simply, "I miss you".

Sometimes when they're together Hanzo will get this restrained look in his eyes. He'll hesitate, seem unsure and Kuai Liang will do his best to encourage him, distract him, but even with his lack of relationship experience he knows that there's only so many times you can kiss away doubts, only so many ways to fuck worry into pleasure before it all falls apart.

On the nights that seem particularly bad, Kuai Liang has trouble sleeping, has trouble letting the ninja out of his arms. He holds him close to feel the warm breath ghosting across his collarbone, feel the silky hair against his skin and he'll kiss Hanzo's forehead, murmuring almost too quietly to hear himself, "I don't know if I'm what you need."

But he wants to be. Elder Gods help him, he wants to be so badly his hands tremble. But he doesn't know what makes Hanzo hesitate or how to make it stop. He doesn't know what he brings to the relationship, if Hanzo is getting anything out of it asides from momentary satisfaction, if this is a hurdle he doesn't know how to overcome or if it's a slow slide to a painful end.

If it's the latter- and he desperately, fervently hopes it's not -Kuai Liang doesn't know if he has the strength to let Hanzo go.


	19. Safe in Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a saying about how the more things change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest staring Kana Hasashi

Kana woke up to something moving against her, worming its way into her arms while simultaneously trying to not disturb her. Her eyes cracked open just enough to peer through and she smiled sleepily, raising her arm up to accommodate her husband. She felt Hanzo press the bridge of his nose against her collarbone and said, words stretched out long and slow, "Welcome back."

He made a low noise in response, something between a hum and a grunt and she could feel his shoulders relax under her hand. The arm on her waist was loose enough to not make her feel trapped but still possessive, the length of his body pressed against hers like he was afraid something would come between them.

Hanzo had always been like that when he came back from missions, burrowing against her and it made Kana feel like she had to shield him against the world or the dark or whatever else it was it seemed he was hiding from. She used to welcome him back with a teasing, "my big, brave warrior" and it had taken nearly a year for her to realize he didn't like it.

Maybe he _did_ need her to protect him, maybe being wrapped up by her kept bad memories or lingering ghosts at bay. Maybe the feeling of her heart beating reminded him he was safe, that the sound of the breath in her lungs or blood rushing in her veins gave him peace.

She ran a hand through his hair- he was growing it out because she loved it, the feel of it, the way it caught the light and the repetitive motion of brushing her fingers through it relaxed them both -and placed a soft kiss against his head. Kana felt his breathing even out, felt sleep ease out his muscles and her arms tightened around him.

Her big, brave warrior, she thought as sleep pulled her back in, whom she would willingly protect from anything.

~*~*~*~

It was the heat that woke him up and it would have worried Kuai Liang if he didn't realize how much he loved waking up to holding someone close to him. He didn't understand why Hanzo liked being held while he slept, never questioned how he buried his face against Kuai Liang's chest like he was hiding from something. But he never asked, felt that if it was so important for him to know, Hanzo would tell him.

Besides, he was more than content to be Hanzo's safe place, his shield, his support. And he drew strength knowing that Hanzo could let himself be vulnerable around him, that he trusted Kuai Liang enough to do so.

He ran his hand through Hanzo's hair, loving the feel of it, the way it helped the older man relax, sleepily nuzzling into him and Kuai Liang drifted back to sleep.


	20. It's a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shortly after Made with Love. Hanzo makes a startling discovery about Kuai Liang. Meanwhile Johnny is a brat.

"Whodda thunk that two of the scariest fuckers on the planet are such saps?"

Johnny was watching the video of Hanzo and Kuai Liang in the kitchen probably for the twentieth time simply because Hanzo- after Sonya threatened to make him pay both violently and financially if he melted another Special Forces-issued phone -could only stew and glare.

(True to the letter of his threat, no pictures or videos of the event surfaced on the internet. It did not, however, prevent the sharing of said items other ways which Hanzo now knew to cover in case of future events. It also proved to the Shirai Ryu that, no matter how old or how high the rank, Hanzo will not hesitate to ground someone for spreading said items beyond their compound.)

The Shirai Ryu grandmaster folded his arms. "Should you not be focusing on the mission," was more of an accusation than question.

"Please, I'll just be watching you two terrorize some White Lotus initiates. The only prepping I need to do is make some popcorn."

"If you are actually able to watch us, we may be in need of training ourselves." Kuai Liang said dryly.

"Is that how your dates usually go? Kinky."

"This is not a date," Hanzo snapped to the surprise of the other two men.

Johnny's tone remained irreverent but Kuai Liang knew he could switch gears in an instant. He loved pushing people's buttons, after all, and dealing with Hanzo could occasionally be like walking a minefield. "No point in being closeted now. Literally everyone knows you're together."

"And I am not so irresponsible as to conflate a mission with a date." Hanzo was so incised about this he'd stopped focusing on checking his gear. Kuai Liang quietly shook his head at the entire conversation, making sure his knives were secure. "Nor would I consider it a proper date if I am unable to give due attention to the one I am dating."

"Hey- some people get off on the violence, I ain't judging."

"I do not."

"Kuai Liang might. You asked him?" Finally turning to the Lin Kuei, Johnny called out, "You consider this a date or not?"

"I do not see what the difference is," he said plainly.

"Pff," Johnny rolled his eyes, "the difference being it'd be a pretty shitty date."

"Which is why this is not one," Hanzo snapped again.

"I would not know. I have never been on one before." It took a moment for Kuai Liang to recognize the overwhelming silence, looking up to find both men staring at him. "What?"

"You've never been on a date before?" Johnny asked incredulous. "Really? _You_?"

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because you're hot and badass and nice? Seriously- I know people that would eat you alive."

Even as an idiom that didn't sound very pleasant but Kuai Liang merely sighed and said, "As I was growing up the Lin Kuei forbade any relationships that was not professional. We had enough trouble hiding any tentative friendships or intimate rendezvous to be concerned with something so inconsequential."

"Wait- does that mean you've never had a relationship? Like the kind you have with Hanzo?"

"Correct."

He turned to the ninja, "Then how was it you were married?"

Though he was answering Johnny, Hanzo's eyes were locked on Kuai Liang, what little of his face that was exposed folded in an expression Kuai Liang couldn't read but seemed something like concern. "Part of the reason the Shirai Ryu was founded was to break away from the Lin Kuei's strict control. We are taught that emotional connections make us stronger. I had known the Lin Kuei believed opposite, but not to such extent."

There was a sudden tension and Johnny, in a rare show of consideration, made some excuse about seeing when they were landing to leave. Hanzo and Kuai Liang stared at each other for a long moment before the latter turned back to his gear, uncomfortable with the sudden scrutiny. "It seems a ridiculous thing to get worked up over," he eventually said.

"I would like to take you on a date."

The suddenness caught Kuai Liang by surprise. He began re-tightening his straps just to have something to do. "Why?"

"Because I believe dates are an important part of a relationship. I had been meaning to ask you earlier but we are both very busy. I should not have put it off as I had."

"What difference does it make now? Is dating not about seeing if you are compatible? We know we work well together and understand our differing needs."

"It is not merely a way to get to know each other." Hanzo stepped up to him, voice low and soothing in a way that felt like his words were melting down Kuai Liang's spine. "It is also an affirmation. A way to demonstrate how we feel for each other."

"Alright, if it means that much to you." Kuai Liang pulled the last strap tight before locking it in place and giving Hanzo his full attention. He tried to hide how the combination of Hanzo's voice and proximity was making his insides flutter "As I've said, I have no experience with dating so I have no care for it one way or the other. Neither do I understand- why is it so important?"

"Because you're important to me. I know you know this, but I want to show it. I want you to feel how you make me feel. I want you to feel special."

Kuai Liang's heart clenched in his chest and for a moment he thought it might burst. He reached up to cup Hanzo's cheek, thumb caressing the line between mask and skin, making Hanzo's eyes widen slightly in surprise. The gesture felt oddly more intimate with the mask on and if Kuai Liang weren't aware that Johnny could return at any moment, he would have taken it off so he could kiss the older man. "No one has made me feel the way you have."

It was by virtue of their close proximity that he could see Hanzo blush. The ninja's eyes curved in a shy smile before they closed, letting his forehead rest against Kuai Liang's. Their hands found each other's, fingers lacing, too wrapped up in the moment to care-

"Seriously, I will never find you guys scary again."

They jumped apart on reflex, eyes locking on Johnny in the doorway, phone up and recording them. Hanzo growled, sparks jumping from his clenched fists but Johnny remained unimpressed. "Sorry, man. Now that I know what a big softie you are, you just don't inspire fear anymore."

The former actor yelped and narrowly saved his fingers from getting frostbitten. However, it meant losing his grip on the iced over phone, allowing it to shatter at his feet. "Hey!"

Kuai Liang was certain to get an earful from Sonya for that but, for Hanzo's quietly grateful look alone, it was worth it.


	21. Song of the Cradle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Nonny who wanted Kuai Liang overhearing and enjoying Hanzo’s singing. Songs are Song of the Cradle and Moonlight on the Ruined Castle.

Kuai Liang was late. Not by much- less than half an hour -and Hanzo wouldn’t hold it against him, understanding how often emergencies and their responsibilities cropped up at the last second to say nothing of the harsh weather in their respective mountains disrupted even traveling via portals. He still prefered being prompt and felt tardiness suggested a lack of respect to whomever was kept waiting, valid excuses or not.

In his walk to the main building, Kuai Liang noticed the light in Hanzo’s office was out and decided to check the older man’s room first. Indeed he was there, half rocking, half walking with a swaddled baby in his arms. On his bed a young man- perhaps not much older than Takeda -was sleeping. Or perhaps passed out was more accurate, all ragdoll limbs and slack jaw.

At first he though Hanzo was only humming, his voice a soothing rumble as the baby made a few snuffling sounds. Even from the door Kuai Liang could see their dark eyes sliding closed. “Nenneko, nenneko/Nenneko yo/Yurikago no tsuna o/Kinezumi ga yusuru…”

Hanzo went through another verse or two, until he was certain the baby was asleep, before looking right up at Kuai Liang. He wasn’t surprised to see the cyromancer there and Kuai Liang hadn’t expected him to be- at their level, both had an unerring sense of when someone else was nearby. He walked over with slow, smooth strides to keep from jostling the baby.

“I apologize,” he said softly, “I hadn’t intended to be acting as nurse maid during your visit.”

“Hardly cause for you to apologize. Especially given I was late.” Kuai Liang stood at Hanzo’s shoulder, looking down at the bundle in his arms. The soft sun turned their skin a deep, soft bronze and the wisps of dark hair to silk. “Such a beautiful child.”

“Beautiful but fussy,” he said with an endearingly fond smile. Hanzo nodded at the young man asleep in his bed. “His niece. The child’s parents were killed shortly before they came to the compound and he was so determined to care for her in their stead.”

“But he’s young and has yet to swallow his pride enough to ask for help before being on the brink of exhaustion?”

Hanzo’s lips twitched in amusement. “Something like that.”

“How fortunate you’re here to watch over them both.” Kuai Liang pressed a sweet kiss to Hanzo’s cheek. “Would you sing another song?”

Hanzo looked very nearly flustered, eyes on the baby as if that would keep Kuai Liang from noticing. “You haven’t come to hear bad singing.”

“True, and I’ve yet to hear bad singing,” tease though it was, Kuai Liang was being honest. He placed on hand on Hanzo’s waist, then the other, sliding them around until his arms looped loosely around Hanzo’s waist. He rested his chin on Hanzo’s shoulder, turning just enough to nuzzle against his jaw. “I won’t mind if you don’t, I just find your voice soothing.”

He was close enough he could feel Hanzo’s chuckle vibrating against his own chest. “I hadn’t realized the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was soothed by lullabies.” But he settled against Kuai Liang and sang, voice long and low, “Haru koro no hana no en/Meguru sakazuki kage sashite…”


	22. A Place to Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ignominious accident leads to a peaceful afternoon.

"I cannot believe you were knocked out by a frisbee."

"Young Jin has a very good arm, though perhaps not aim. Regardless, you should be proud."

Hanzo chuckled. "I am. I doubt the Lin Kuei's previous grandmasters, however, are."

Had he said that just a few years prior, Kuai Liang would've considered it an insult. Perhaps even two years ago it would have stung. Now, having long since memorized the look of deep fondness in the gentle tease of Hanzo's smile, it just made Kuai Lang chuckle. Until the pain in his head caused him to wince.

"The great Sub-Zero," Hanzo continued, hand running lightly through Kuai Liang's mussed hair, "felled by a pre-teen and a plastic plaything."

"I will have that frisbee mounted in our training hall as a legendary weapon." Kuai Liang's voice was grave except for the amused smile threading through it. Hanzo chuckled again and the two masters lapsed into silence. Kuai Liang closed his eyes and listened to the activity around them.

On record it was a week-long joint training between the two former rival clans. Everyone else had taken to Johnny's definition: family vacation. It had started even before the relationship between Hanzo and Kuai Liang became romantic, when it actually was training to promote unity between the clans. It had since become a chance for clan members to get away from their isolated mountains and strict training, a chance to have fun and venture out into the rest of the world and society, a chance for them to see what other options were available to them if they so wanted. And it always seemed to make the two masters feel even closer together, watching their clans intermingling, having fun, teaching each other new things and greeting each other like friends.

Perhaps Johnny's term was more accurate than he had intended.

Kuai Liang sighed, contented. When he opened his eyes to see Hanzo, looking at something in the distance and smiling softly, he said, "I'm on your lap."

Hanzo looked down at him, tucking a loose strand of hair- his hair was almost always down during this week -behind his ear. "Your cognitive functions are as adept as ever, I see we have no reason to fear a concussion."

Kuai Liang gave a huff of laughter. Hanzo's dry and sharp sense of humor was one of Kuai Liang's favorite discoveries of the man. "I've never had my head in your lap before." He paused in thought. "Or anyone's lap, I don't believe." He turned his head, nuzzling against Hanzo's and thigh. "You're very comfortable."

"Does this mean you have no intention of vacating it any time soon?"

"Why? Are you needed somewhere?"

Hanzo's smile was warm and sweet, his nails scratching softly over Kuai Liang's beard. "Not for a while yet."

His fingers traced up Kuai Liang's cheek and began stroking through his hair again and Kuai Liang settled in, closed his eyes and soon dozed off peacefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This updated??? Yeah, I was shocked, too.


End file.
